MICHIGAN STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 189 



problem for the benefit of the State, and for the benefit of 

 temperance. I was once an ardent temperance man, and 

 believed and said that spirits should never be used by anybody, 

 sick or well. I believed it, honestly, and I urged it upon our 

 people. By-and-by I fell sick myself, and my physician said, 

 " You must take spirits with your dinner." I objected ; said 

 I could not do it; that I did not believe in it; that I had 

 always preached the other doctrine, and I would not do it. I 

 did not do it ; for a whole year I suffered, until I was finally 

 driven to it, and I began to think that possibly I might be 

 mistaken. Now, since it is certain that stimulants must be 

 had, it would seem to be wise to supplant those which we have 

 which lead to intoxication, and have a wholly different effect 

 upon the system from pure domestic wines, by wines made in 

 our own land. They will be light. Wine cannot be trans- 

 ported unless it is strong, and therefore the foreign wines are 

 strong." 

 Mr. Haldane read the following on 



WINE-MAKING. 



" It would give me pleasure, were I competent to interest 

 you on so important and interesting a subject as wine-making. 

 For a business, it is assuming large proportions in our own 

 country, and as it is properly an appendage to this society, we 

 may well investigate the methods of success in that as well 

 as success in fruit culture ; for it requires, in my opinion, all 

 the qualifications to succeed in making the better quality of 

 wine, that it does to produce superior fruit, namely: the 

 highest cultivation of the intellect as well as of the soil, and 

 even more, the highest state of cultivation as well. The 

 inquiry is often made, why France and Germany, with the 

 disadvantage of soil and climate, produce the best wine in the 

 world, as compared with Spain, Portugal, and the islands of 

 higher latitudes ? The answer to me is plain : No semi-cul- 

 tivation ever produced superior qualities of wine. Wine is like 

 fruit : any slovenly farmer can raise frnit of some kind. And so 



