22 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



also known as the greatest wine doctors in the world, he ad- 

 vised in rapid succession, brewers yeast, gypsum, fresh grapes, 

 fresh ferment from other vats, then tartaric acid and tannin. 

 But alas, in spite of all these remedies and their application 

 many of the new wines, being " stuck " once, refused "to go 

 through " and had to be worked into sweet wines, or distilled 

 into brandy. If our wine makers have gained in experience, 

 it has been a bitter and costly one, although some of their 

 wines remained sweet, and as wines became scarce, and the 

 unfortunate practice still prevailed that the dealer had to 

 buy a whole cellar, and had to take the good with the bad, 

 these imperfect wines were doctored up, sent to the East 

 and elsewhere during the season of low freights in 1886, and 

 the markets flooded with indifferent wines by unscrupulous 

 persons, which again damaged the reputation of California 

 wines seriously, until now, their purity, on which we have al- 

 ways justly prided ourselves, is called into question. The 

 outcome of this was the enactment of the "Pure wine bill" as 

 it is generally termed, by our legislature last winter, which, 

 although perhaps susceptible of improvement and amendment, 

 will at least show to the world at large that we understand 

 wine to be \hz pure unadulterated, fermented juice of the grape, 

 the healthiest and best drink for the million. And what in- 

 ducement can we have to adulterate it ? Surely grape juice 

 pure and simple, is cheaper in our blessed climate, than any 

 decoctions or sophistications ; and we need nothing else, as 

 soon as we are fully informed about the processes of making 

 it. To assist in this, is the principal object of this volume. 

 Another mistake which many of our planters have commit- 

 ted, is the persistence with which they have planted, and are 

 planting even now, the vinifera cutting and vines, in districts 

 affected and nearly destroyed by the Phylloxera. They ought 

 to profit by the lessons taught in France and all. over Europe, 

 by fhe devastated vineyards which have reduced the crop of 



