STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 207 



place were proper, he coukl show from the whole tenor of the Bible from 

 one end to the other, that the use of such wines as he recommended was 

 not only not forbidden, but their proper use sanctioned. 



Dr. Pennington said he had never used wines, or kept them m his 

 family. He regarded the habitual use of any alcoholic drink as fraught 

 with danger. He had found the diluted juice of lemons, taken ice 

 cold, to answer the ends which the doctor would accomplish witli acid 

 wines. 



Mr. Bliss thought this Society should take a stand upon this ques- 

 tion. Its published reports convey the impression to the reader that it 

 favors the manufacture and use of wine. He did not favor its use, and 

 agreed with the sentiment expressed in the resolution. 



Mr, Earle: 



Mr. President : — I occupy on this question an attitude of entirely 

 calm but earnest inquiry. I want more light; and it is of vast importance 

 to the interests of human nature that more light be given us on this wine 

 question. It seems to me that our Society, as well as most of the horti- 

 cultural societies of the country, has, in its numerous exhibitions, reports, 

 and discussions, and other encouragment gi\en to the production of native 

 wines, assumed a position of very grave responsibility to the people — to 

 society at large; and it has seemed to many of us to be quite time to justify 

 our active encouragement of the wine interest, by such an amount of 

 facts and arguments as would fairly remove the impression existing in 

 many minds, if that be possible, that we are giving the great influence of 

 our society to a sj^stem \\hich tends to the moral damage of community. 

 Hence I fa\ored the invitation to our able friend from Missouri, to come 

 here and state the grounds upon which American wine growing is 

 recommended as the proper remedy for the evils of intemperance. I do 

 not believe it is the province of this Society to discuss the question from a 

 physiological standpoint, but we may investigate it as a question of social 

 science; we may inquire what has been the result of general wine using 

 among those peoples where it has been common for ages. Dr. Spalding 

 asserts very positively in his paper, that there is no tendency to excess in 

 the use of pure acid American wine; that it may be used habitually 

 without any increase of appetite for itself, or any creation of appetite 

 for distilled licjuors. I hope the Doctor's position is well taken. I do 

 profoundly hope that abundant facts justify that assertion. But he has 

 not given us the facts, as I hoped he would ; and while his simple state- 

 ment has great weight with me, I must in so important a matter ask for 

 more proof. 



I do not believe that we have the necessary' experience in this countiy 

 upon which to base this opinion. The personal experience of our dis- 

 tinguished friend is not enough; his observations in the limited circle of 

 men who have for some years used American wines is 1 ot enough ; this 

 is all limited to a narrow district, and to a single generation. It is valua- 

 ble evidence as far as it goes, but it is far too limited to justify our taking 

 any position of Influence on this great question. 



