498 THE MOXTULY BULLETIN. 



their own countries, wherever grapes are grown, these people are tem- 

 perate users of claret and white wine at their meals, consuming an aver- 

 age of about a pint bottle a day. or not less than thirty gallons a year. 

 If in California these people are permitted to maintain their old-country 

 customs, the half million that are expected would make a home market 

 for fifteen million gallons of wine a year. This would be enough to take 

 care of any possible surplus and would put the grape industry on a 

 secure and profitable basis for years to come. 



Regardless of what measures may be taken to rid California of the low- 

 class saloon, would it not be wise for our grape growers, and those of the 

 community interested in the success of an industry representing an 

 investment of over a hundred million dollars, to consider some amend- 

 ment of the present local option laws. At the present time, under the 

 Wylie bill, if a district votes dry there is nothing to prevent a man 

 having a gallon of whiskey shipped to him by express and kept at his 

 home or in his room at a hotel or boarding-house, but the hotel or board- 

 hig-house keeper is absolutely prevented from serving his guests with a 

 temperate glass of white AA'ine or claret at meals. To the southern 

 European wine is the same as tea or coffee to the American. If the 

 people of a community wish to close saloons but wish to give hotels and 

 restaurants the privilege of serving light California AA'ines with bona 

 fide meals, why should not that community have the privilege of so 

 deciding? I doubt if this matter was seriously and definitely .consid- 

 ered when our legislators framed the present law. I am a believer in 

 local option and the right of each community to regulate its own affairs 

 as it sees fit. Perhaps the time will come Avhen a great many communi- 

 ties in California will see fit to regulate affairs in the way thus suggested. 



With the steady improvement in quality of our California wines the 

 market for the better types is gradually broadening. The University 

 of California recognizes the grape as one of the most important and has 

 established a Department of Viticulture, ably headed by Professor 

 Bioletti. An immense amount of valuable work has been accomplished. 

 Among other investigations this department has recently demonstrated 

 in a very striking and practical way, by actual work with commercial 

 vintages, the great improvement that can be made in our California 

 wines by the use of pure yeasts for the carrjnng on of fermentation. 



California is uniciue in the importance and extent of its viticulture. 

 Farmers and settlers from other states usually know nothing at all 

 ?!bout grape growing. The work and advice of the viticultural depart- 

 ment of the University, through its bulletins, through farmers' insti- 

 tutes, and through the press, is of great importance to the whole com- 

 miinity. The legislature makes a biennial appropriation for special 

 research in viticulture, but the amount is inadequate and should be 

 increased. 



One other topic, and I am through. The history of gluts and periods 

 of overproduction show that in many cases they could have been pre- 

 vented. It did not take a fortune teller to point out, after the planting 



