96 



TWEXTY-NIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' COXVEXTIOX. 



All these questions should be agitated, and agitated earnestly. Some 

 good work in this direction is being done by a concern styling itself the 

 American Grape Acid Association, which, in its endeavor to find a 

 means of producing here, instead of importing from abroad, the cream 

 of tartar that is consumed in great quantities in the United States, has 

 offered a prize of $25,000 for the discovery of a process which will 

 make tartaric acid in paying quantities as a direct product from grapes. 

 That its efforts may be crowned with success is a consummation devoutly 

 to be desired, and every grape-grower should assist the aforesaid 

 concern in its laudable work, for if it accomplishes nothing else it will, 

 by its extensive distribution of pamphlets, have advertised California 

 in a splendid manner all over the world. 



The foregoing remarks on a possible overproduction of grapes apply 

 particularly to sweet-wine districts, and are dwelt upon in this address 

 because this Convention is being held in the great sweet-wine center. 



In dry-wine districts, while it is unlikely that the price of grapes can 

 be sustained at anything near the high prices of the 1902 vintage, there 

 is little reason to fear that the growing of dry-wine grapes may become 

 unprofitable, for the difficulty, expense, and time required to bring a 

 resistant vineyard into bearing are considerable, and no such heavy 

 increase, therefore, in new acreage within a limited time can be antici- 

 pated as in the sweet-wine districts. Diseases prevalent in dry-wine 

 counties are more likely, also, to keep the average production within 

 reasonable bounds. 



Two years, and even one year, ago I earnestly believed that a large 

 j^roduction of dry wine from existing vineyards was an impossibility, 

 and I still believe that the present full supply can, by concerted and 

 sensible handling of the situation, be profitably absorbed through future 

 smaller vintages. 



But vines have proved themselves to possess such wonderful recuper- 

 ative powers that guessing on their prospective yield has become an 

 unsatisfactory business; so that beyond expressing the firm opinion 

 that the planting of grapes in dry-wine counties will prove fully as 

 remunerative for many years to come as the raising of almost any other 

 agricultural product. I feel very chary of making prophecies. 



In conclusion. I desire to say a word on arrangements for so-called 

 reciprocity with other nations. If you do not keep a watchful eye on 

 your own interests it is not likely that the present or any future 

 national administration will remember that, while preeminent as the 

 '"land of sunshine, fruit, and flowers." the State of California is of suffi- 

 cient importance politically to be seriously considered when making 

 arrangements with foreign countries. Votes in politics count like 

 dollars in business, and if through disregarding your interests a reci- 

 procity agreement can gain tli ree votes where you can furnish only one 



