50 \ Transactions of the 



and each class made iiito such wine as in the judgment of the operators 

 they are best adapted. \ This system of wine making is one that we have 

 been recommending in ourr reports and otherwise for years past, and we 

 rejoice that it is being so generally adopted. It is the only system that 

 can secure good and uniforms brands of wine, and give them chai'acter 

 and command for them a marUVet at home or abroad. The evidences of 

 prosperity manifested by such wrme making companies are conclusive as 

 to the satisfactory profits made on ttshe capital invested in this manner. 

 The prices paid for grapes — from twetrt£v dollars to twenty-five dollars 

 per ton — are very satisfactory to the growers. Well cultivated vine- 

 yards of the California grape are made to yield* in this way a net annual 

 income of from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars? per acre. Good vine- 

 yards of choice table grapes yield much larger incoiines. The Muscat of 

 Alexandria have averaged for years as high as two hundred and seventy 

 dollars net per acre; "while the Black Hamburg, Black '.-Malvoile, and 

 Golden Chasselas have netted four hundred and fifty dollars, and the 

 Alexandria Muscat has paid a profit of seven hundred and seventy-five 

 dollars per acre. u 



We present these figures to our grain farmers, and ask them if il«t will 

 not be better to plant vineyards on some portions of their lands t that 

 have been cropped with grain until the annual product scarcely pa^ys 

 the expense necessary to secure it. Such lands are still good for tF*»e 

 vine, and in this way may be made in a few years to yield a handsonpe 

 income to their owners. 



While annual crops of grain exhaust ami impoverish the soil, the vine 

 recuperates and improves it. While grain requires planting yearly,] 

 grape vines once planted and in bearing will yield annual crops for ai 

 lifetime. There has never yet been in the State a failure of the grape \ 

 crop from drought or any other cause. While we would encourage the 

 grain farmers on the plains to plant vines, and thus diversify their crops, 

 we do not forget that we have thousands of acres of most excellent vine 

 land bordering the foothills, generally known as "red land." and a vast 

 area in the foothills themselves, that for wine making 'and raisin culture 

 cannot be excelled in the world. France and Germany have heretofore 

 been our strongest opponents in the introduction of our wines into the 

 markets of the world. While we regret the present devastating war 

 between them as a great calamity, not only to themselves, but to man- 

 kind generallj*, we are not insensible of the advantages accruing to many 

 of our industries as a result of that war. Among those industries 

 already most favorably affected thereby are grape growing and wine 

 making, and we hope our people will not be slow to make the most of 

 the advantages thus accruing, nor in taking the necessary steps to ren- 

 der those advantages permanent and profitable. A late ruling of the 

 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, to the effect that sparkling wines 

 made from the native grapes, or from wines produced from such, are not 

 subject to taxation, while all such wines made from foreign grown grapes 

 or foreign wines is subject to taxation under the Internal Revenue laws, 

 is most favorable to the wine interests of our State. 



FRUIT CULTURE. 



Fruit culture in California is becoming one of our most promising 

 industries. For some years before the completion of the overland rail- 

 road and the consequent opening of the Eastern markets for our surplus 

 fruits, those engaged extensively in raising fruit for sale found it difficult 



