INTRODUCTION. 9 



of the supply : the mouths will multiply faster 

 than they can be filled. This must be the case, 

 however large the number of propagators may 

 be, or however vast their facilities for multiply- 

 ing the vine. The man has yet to be born who 

 will be able to purchase our best native grapes 

 for less than fifteen cents a pound. We know 

 that grapes can be profitably grown for much 

 less than ten. 



From what has been said, we are justified in 

 concluding that grape culture is rich in the ele- 

 ments of pleasure and profit. There is one 

 other point that may be glanced at before pro- 

 ceeding to the more immediate object of this 

 work. A good deal has been said, at times, 

 about the morality of the subject ; the wicked- 

 ness of growing grapes for the purpose of mak- 

 ing wine. We do not propose to discuss this 

 point. The limits prescribed to this book will 

 not permit it ; besides, it is really not necessary 

 in this connection. We may remark, however, 

 that our efforts to benefit mankind will be suc- 

 cessful just in proportion as we deal with them 

 as they are, and not as we would have them. 

 We usually fail because we begin by supposing 

 men to be what we only propose to make 

 them : an inversion which defeats our purpose. 



