CALIFORNIA 
321 
of green on the hillsides. The wild vine was found climbing 
many a tree in the ravines and along the brooklets of the Coast 
range, and it could not be otherwise than that better ones would 
take kindh’' to the soil and give abundant fruitage. The best 
were brought from Spain and the wine districts of southern 
France. The mongrel and fox}’’ grapes that suited eastern pal- 
ates did not win any place in the viticulture of the state. The 
motto of the Californian everywhere is, “Get the best.” After 
the vineyards of Spain and France had been laid under contri- 
bution, princely Tokays and mellow Muscats, with more than 
twenty other semitropical varieties, began to crowd the home 
markets. The wine grape climbed the hills and made the claret 
that was sold under a French label to thousands of eastern con- 
sumers. Eighteen million gallons of wine were the iiroduct of 
a single year. Grapes from these vineyards were shipped to 
eveiy large city of the Union. INlore than 150,000 acres are now 
covered with vines in California, and the average product for an 
acre is nearly double the average product of the vineyards of 
France and Spain. For many large areas the average iDi’oduct 
is 12,000 pounds an acre, while in special instances the product 
reaches 20,000 pounds per acre. Beyond all other states of the 
Union, California is the land of the vine. More than Uvo thirds 
of the arable land of the state is suitable for viticulture and other 
fruit culture. There is more land in this one state suitable for 
the production of raisin grapes than there is adapted to that 
culture in Spain. When the Muscat began to hang in golden 
clusters and to turn into raisins on the vines, there was the first 
suggestion of the great raisin crop that could ultimately su])ply 
every market of this country. That the raisin product now falls 
short of tins is because of the keen competition with the crop of 
Spain, that is produced for less tlian one-half the outla}'’ for labor 
that the same production costs in California ; but layer for layer 
and box for box, these domestic producers challenge for quality 
the best in the world. A small industry became a great one by 
]>eneficent i)rotection. More is the ])ity thatany ]>art of itsbould 
have been withdrawn until these pioneers had fought out the 
battle for every home market in the land. The raisin ])roduct 
of the state last year was not less than 54,000,000 ])ounds. Not 
only is California golden-sandaled, but the very sun in the 
heavens turns her fruits into gold. 
Such a miracle of transformation was wrought in southern 
California as had iu)t been witnessed beyoml her borders. The 
