WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 357 



drugged, must go either to the distillery or be made into 

 vinegar. 



If this law becomes effective, which depends mainly on the 

 patronage of the wine-drinking public, it will double the 

 California market lor good wine. Its success will send the 

 poor wine to the distillery, the sale of which has dragged 

 down the price of the better product to ruinous figures; 

 figures which preclude the possibility of marketing any choicer 

 grades for the general public. 



J. H. WHEELER. 



Chief Viticultural Officer. 



CHAPTER XV. 



WINE STATISTICS. 



These are very difficult to obtain in this busy State, where 

 everybody seems to have his hands full, and seems to be unwill- 

 ing or unable to attend to anything else. But a few items which 

 will give a general idea of the magnitude of the industry may- 

 be of interest to my readers, as they will show the rapid in- 

 crease from small beginnings. 



The Secretary of the State Board of equalization, Hon. E. 

 W. Maslin, reports the entire number of acres in vines in the 

 State, by counties from the report of the County Assessors to 

 be 121,440 acres, distributed as follows : 



Alameda, 3,451 acres; Amador, 846 acres; Butte, 247 

 acres; Calaveras, 1,440 acres; Colusa, 506 acres; Contra 

 Costa, 3,000 acres; Del Norte, 4 acres; El Dorado, 1,570 

 acres; Fresno, 10,185 acres ; Inyo, 95 acres ; Kern, 45 acres; 



