SECRETARY'S REPORT. 165 



come, — it will still be a commercial staple in the form of wine. 

 The wine product of the United States, which was, in 1850, 

 218,023 gallons, had increased to the respectable figure of 

 1,617,057 gallons in 1860. California alone made 2,000,000 

 gallons in 1865, and it is believed that the next census will show 

 an annual product of not less than 10,000,000 gallons for the 

 whole United States. 



In France, whose population does not much exceed that of 

 our own country, the average production of wine is 884,000,000 

 gallons ; worth, at the press, twenty-five cents a gallon, or 

 $221,000,000 for the whole crop. The aggregate number of 

 acres devoted to the grape in all Europe, is 12,285,780 ; the 

 aggregate annual crop 3,107,039,000 gallons, and the aggregate 

 value of this crop, $763,733,500, this last named magnificent 

 sum being the amount received by the producer, and it is safe 

 to believe the value is doubled in the hands of the wine mer- 

 chant. The figures were derived by Haraszthy, from official 

 documents, and are probably correct. 



The value of the wine, at the press, in Missouri, is $1.61 per 

 gallon ; the yield from 250 gallons to 600 gallons per acre. 

 This gives an income of from $400 to $960 per acre. 



These values would not be lessened here at the East, but 

 rather enhanced. I have made six hundred gallons of wine 

 from one acre, without the addition of water, or spirit, which, I 

 think, should never be used. You can see, then, that the grape- 

 grower can always count upon a sure market, and a remunerating 

 price for his crop. 



Many people object to the introduction of wine-making in 

 this country on the score of morals. They fear that when we 

 come to be a wine-drinking people, we shall be an intemperate 

 people. I need not say — what all the world knows — that the 

 people of the wine-growing countries are the most temperate on 

 the face of the earth. Instance the French people, who make 

 over 800,000,000 gallons every year, and who consume more 

 than twenty gallons annually, to each person in the empire. 

 In that country, where so large an average consumption of wine 

 prevails, you find a temperate and happy people ; industrious, 

 economical, cheerful and healthy. No dyspepsia, no disturbance 

 of the bodily functions, such as are incident to those nations 

 whose stimulants arc more ardent, and therefore less healthy. 



