Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1869 [PAGE 273]

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This, my friends, is the noblest mission of American Grape Culture, Let us offer a glass of good light wine, at a low price, to every laborer in the land, to cheer him on and invigorate him at his toil. He needs it more than :he rich epicure at his well spread board, with every luxury at his command. Ind we can do it. We can grow and make good drinkable wine at seventy ive cents per gallon, and when it comes down to that, or even a dollar per gallon, its consumption will increase to a degree which will astonish those vho are now afraid that the thing will be overdone, and the market glutted. We do not need a single drop of European wine in this country; we can ^row all that is consumed here, and we can, and will, export American wines. NQ have proved already, in these short twenty years,-that we can produce pines equal to the best of other countries. Where is the Burgundy equal to •r better than our Cynthiana and Norton's? Where the Claret better than ur Creveling, Clinton and Concord? Where the Rhenish wine with which ur Delaware, Taylor, Hebermont and Cassady need fear comparison ? And rhere is a better Sherry than our Rulander and Hermann ? I have tasted rines from all countries, at fabulous prices, but I predict to you here to-day, nd I wish you to make a note of it, that in twenty years more we will rival nd surpass them all. American Grape Culture is only in its infancy; the young giant is hardly wake, but he begins to see daylight, and when the child becomes a man he ill fill the land, and we wTill make wines so good and so cheap that we can bolish the protective tariff and still drive foreign wines from the market ith our native produce. May we all live to see that day. But, my friends, these are only generalities. I have tried to show you that le new era in American Grape Culture has commenced, that "the old has issed away, and all things have become new." But, myself a farmer, I speak > farmers, and I know that, they are practical men. Generalities will not office with them, they must be shown the why and wherefore, they wTant cts to convince them. If, therefore, you wish information upon any point, vould rather it should come in the shape of questions from you and answers ?m me ; and you can rest assured that the answers will be candid, straight rward and explicit, to the best of my ability. My knowledge is but limid, but while I do not pretend to be an authority, I acknowledge none, and ,ve no secrets, for we all seek the truth, and should gladly impart what lit5 knowledge we may have gained to our fellow laborers.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. EDWARDS—I wish to inquire of the lecturer if it is his

anion that our clay subsoils should be underdrained ?

Mr. HUSMANN—I would like to inquire if the subsoil is very

lacious?

Mr. EDWARDS—Not generally very tenacious.

Mr. HUSMANN—Does it hold water in any considerable degree ?