ANNUAL MEETING AT NEVADA. 293 



eminently able and efficient commissioner, Norman J. Colman, deserves 

 none the less the thanks and honest appreciation of American grape- 

 growers, for the dissemination of advice, knowledge and instruction on 

 this subject, as well as for the untiring efforts and experiments, which it 

 has made and caused to have been made in so many different sec- 

 tions of the country. If the reports of these experiments do not yet 

 show an entire and uniform success in all cases, they show so much 

 good results that we are justified in the belief that the question of the 

 successful treatment of these fungoid diseases will before long, find its 

 entire and satisfactory solution. Gov. Colman deserves all the more 

 credit for his efforts in this direction when we consider that gtape cul- 

 ture, as yet, forms but a minor factor in our agricultural industries, un- 

 like the vastly more important interests which it serves in France. 



If, however, grape culture is as yet a rninor factor in our Agricul- 

 tural wealth, it is already an important one, and one which is in a healthy 

 state of development, and I can see no reason to fear for its future. 

 With the means of overcoming the black rot and mildew, the intelligent 

 grape grower can be successful throughout an immense stretch of terri- 

 tory, where heretofore his efforts resulted in failure, and as to overdoing 

 the business by an overproduction of fine fruit, I think we need have no 

 fear of such a result for a good many years to gome yet. An increased 

 supply will create an increased demand and consumption, and finally, 

 the grape, unlike all other fruit, with the exception perhaps of the apple, 

 will admit of being used in so many different ways. It can be eaten 

 fresh or dried, it can be canned, made into jams, jellies, marmalade, pre- 

 serves, butter. It can be pressed for its juice, and this again can be con- 

 verted to so many different uses, and last, but not least, it can be made 

 into a pure wholesome light wine, and this use, if you will allow me 

 the remark, if it were as universal here, as it is in the wine growing coun- 

 tries of Southern Europe, would do more towards the true solution of the 

 temperance question, than all the prohibition that can be agitated or 

 enacted. 



I hope you will pardon my digression from the original subject of 

 "The American Grape in Foreign Countries," from which the interest for 

 our good cause, American grape culture in America, has perhaps led me 

 home too soon, but I would not wish to presume on any more of your 

 valuable space to-day. 



