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the wheat fields, and a good opportunity is thus here presented for this 

 investigation. We will state it here, as a fact, that the grape crop 

 throughout the State, for eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, was much 

 less than for eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and other former years. 

 The season was one of the most unfavorable for this crop ever known. In 

 Yolo County the yield was but one-half — the average this year being about 

 three tons per acre, against six tons last year. The entire grape crop 

 of the county this year is estimated at a thousand tons, about four hun- 

 dred tons of which were sold at twenty dollars per ton, and were taken 

 from the county for distilling purposes. The balance were made into 

 wines and brandies within the county, and sold or used for other pur- 

 poses. Taking those sold as the average value of the crop, we have 

 sixty dollars per acre as the gross proceeds of the vine. The gross 

 proceeds of the wheat crop per acre, on the same quality of soil, did not 

 exceed twenty-five dollars. This shows a decided advantage of grape 

 culture over wheat, even when the grape crop was but one-half its usual 

 quantity and value. This great advantage of immediate profits is not 

 the only consideration in favor of grape culture over wheat. While the 

 cultivation of wheat exhausts and depreciates the soil, grapes tend to 

 recuperate and enrich it. While the wheat crop grows less and less an- 

 nually, that of the grape is constantly on the increase. While wheat 

 requires annual planting, grape vines, once planted, will continue to bear 

 fifty or more years. 



Again, our product of wheat is already largely in excess of home con- 

 sumption, and we are obliged to seek a foreign market for the surplus 

 and pay heavy freights, interest and insurance before it reaches the con- 

 sumer. Not so with the products of the vine. Of these we are still 

 large importers to supply our home consumption. The value of wines 

 and liquors imported this year reaches nine hundred and eighteen thou- 

 sand five hundred and thirty-six dollars. 



Another consideration : The most valuable commerce is that between 

 different portions of our own country. Thus our own country will reap 

 all the benefits, and there are no duties, either import or export ; while the 

 market for our surplus wheat is in foreign countries, we will have a 

 market for all our surplus wines and brandies for a long time to come in 

 the Atlantic States. 



In the above estimates we have considered the grape product only 

 with reference to its value for wines and liquors. The culture of the 

 best varieties for the table and for the Eastern markets will be found 

 much more profitable. This year the Muscat of Alexandria vines, 

 within an easy market distance from San Francisco, have netted their 

 owners at the rate of from three hundred dollars to six hundred dollars 

 per acre. The Flame-coloi-ed Tokay have netted, in one instance, over 

 one thousand dollars per acre, while the Black Hamburg, Black Mal- 

 voisie, Golden Chassales and White Tokay have netted over four hundred 

 and fifty dollars. The great vineyards of the common California grape 

 have paid their owners at the rate of one hundred dollars per acre clear. 



In this connection we would remark that no more favorable time for 

 commencing vineyards has ever been presented in California. By the 

 railroad overland our market for the best table varieties has been 

 increased a hundred fold, and, as our wines become more generally 

 known, they will be more generally used, to the exclusion of those of for- 

 eign brands. We would saj r , then, to those who have land adapted to 

 the culture, plant vineyards. 



