166 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The imported wine, however, is very different from the pure 

 wines from our own vineyards, being largely reinforced with 

 brandy. 



This is the product of distillation, and is one of the forms of 

 pure alcohol, and is as unchangeable in its characteristics when 

 mingled with wino as when mingled with water. You drink 

 wine and alcohol, and not pure wine ; the alcohol is an excitant, 

 a poison ; the pure wine is nutritive, — liquid grapes, — and 

 digests into generous blood, giving fulness to the pulse without 

 exciting it. Alcohol goes into the circulation without change, 

 reaches the brain, — as alcohol, — affecting it unfavorably, with 

 undue excitement, and is followed by inevitable reaction. 



The inhabitants of wino countries are perfectly aware of this. 

 They do not drink " brandied " wines, but the lightest and purest 

 to be obtained, and these are given freely, even to children of 

 a tender ago. 



A friend of mine, a clergyman, visited France for the recovery 

 of his health. He was advised, by one of the most eminent 

 physicians of Paris, to travel on. foot through the wine-growing 

 departments of that country, to live mostly on grapes, and to 

 drink the pure wine of the country. He followed this advice, 

 and he assures me that, out of the large cities, he saw no 

 intemperance. 



Stopping one day at a wayside inn, he saw, opposite his win- 

 dow, one of those seminaries, half convent, half school, which 

 abound in that country. It was the hour of noon, and the 

 young ladies, mostly of the age of ten or twelve years, came and 

 seated themselves on the beautiful lawn, in the shade of the fine 

 trees, to lunch. The dainty napkin was removed from each 

 little basket, and with the cold chicken and choice French roll, 

 came out, also, a bottle of wine ! Do you suppose parents 

 would give wine to their children, at that tender age, if they 

 supposed it would promote intemperance ? 



Mr. Barnard. — Some parents give whiskey or New England 

 rum to their infants. 



Mr. Bull. — Not often, I think, and not wisely. Perhaps it 

 goes to show the almost universal belief in the necessity of 

 stimulants, at times. 



Mr. Barnard, — Will not wine intoxicate ? What per cent, 

 of intoxicating property docs wine contain ? 



