THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 497 



■wine made in the interior that the grapes of the coast counties brought 

 from twelve to nineteen dollars a ton this year, and for a term of ten 

 years liave averaged o\er twenty dollars a ton. 



The wines of the interior valleys, most sweet fortified wines, are made 

 largely from wine grapes, planted more for quantity than quality, and 

 also to a large extent from surplus table grapes and raisin grapes. For 

 instance, during the latter part of the season, there were daily about as 

 many cars of table grapes sidetracked at the wineries of Stockton and 

 Lodi as were being loaded for eastern shipment. 



Cut ott' the markets for wines, by needless, careless or hostile legisla- 

 tion, and a heavy blow will be dealt both to the growers of table and of 

 raisin grapes. The interests of the three classes of vineyardists are tied 

 together : all three have suffered during the years since 1907. Since 

 that year the average vineyard of the interior valleys has been run at a 

 financial loss. 



The actual cost of growing wine grapes in the interior on average 

 land, including interest on the investment and taxes, is probably not less 

 than twelve dollars a ton. A.t six dollars a ton, the prevalent price this 

 season, there is a heav.y loss. At the present time it is said that contracts 

 are offered to vineyardists at ten dollars a ton for ten years. While it 

 is unwise to give any one specific business advice, the grower, before 

 coming to a decision, should remember that owing to constant increases 

 in taxation, to increasing demands on the part of laborers, to the cost 

 of employers' accident liability, and to the increased cost of living, that 

 there may be no real profit in growing grapes at ten dollars a ton, but 

 a loss. He should also distinguish between real contracts and alleged 

 contracts, which are merely options, voidable at the buyer's pleasure. 

 In any event he should hold himself free to dig out his vineyard and sub- 

 stitute some crop that will net a real profit, if he decides to do so. If his 

 vineyard bears only average crops, he may do better to gradually reduce 

 his vineyard acreage and work into alfalfa and other lines of production. 



It is surprising to learn how few vineyardists keep any systematic, 

 record of costs of production. Most vineyards are planted in blocks of 

 one or more acres. During the vintage the tonnage from each block 

 should be kept track of. It is not uncommon for some blocks to produce 

 two or three times as much as other blocks. The grower should know 

 which blocks are not paying the expense of cultivation and operation 

 and which ones are paying a profit. The modern dairyman goes to con- 

 sidera])le pains to test his cows, so that he may eliminate those that cost 

 more than they come to. The grape grower should know definitely 

 whether a block of grapes is presenting him with an annual deficit or an 

 annual profit. If there is a profit, he should decide if it is the best 

 profit of which that land is capable, and whether he can make a better 

 profit by substituting some other crop. 



It seems as if one other matter should be considered. Within the next 

 ten years, following the opening of the canal, we expect many thousands, 

 perhaps a half million, southern Europeans to settle in California. In 



10— AB 



