48 CULTIVATION 



in all instances, find in the Materia Medica, a sub- 

 stitute for them ; and while I am disposed to go as 

 far as any one in excluding strong drinks from the 

 daily use of people in health, I must express my 

 satisfaction at finding we can produce in our own 

 country a pure^ healthy wine, well adapted to 

 medical purposes, and far superior to the adul- 

 terated, poisonous foreign compounds that often find 

 their way to the bedsides of the sick, under the 

 names of ^ Lisbon,' ' Madeira/ &c., &c." Dr. Flagg, 

 in his report to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, 

 observes : " I am confident that the introduction of 

 pure light wines as a common beverage, will pro- 

 duce a great national and moral reform ; one that 

 will be received by our temperance brethren ere 

 long as a national blessing ; one that will complete 

 the work they have already begun^ The temper- 

 ance cause IS rapidly preparing public sentiment 

 for the introduction of pure American wine. So 

 long as public taste remains vitiated by the use of 

 malt and alcoholic drinks, it will be impossible to 

 introduce light pleasant wines except to a limited 

 extent; but just in proportion as strong drinks are 

 abandoned, a more wholesome one will be substi- 

 tuted. Instead of paying millions to foreigners as 

 we now do, for deleterious drinks, as brandy and 

 wines, let us produce from our own hill-sides, a 

 wholesome beverage that will be within the reach 

 of all — the poor as well as the rich." An intel* 

 Hgent traveler observes, that ''among the rural 

 population of France, Italy and Spain, light wines^ 



