of from two to three shillings per bottle, and they may be found on the wine list of every first-class hotel, club, dining-room and on the table of wine consumers in every city and town of the British possessions.

Every drop of wine contained in these bottles is imported by this enterprising firm from California in barrels. On its arrival it is stored under the vaults of Waterloo Bridge, where an immense warehouse has been built under these enormous arches. The wine is allowed to rest for months after its arrival. It is then bottled and labeled with the most modern appliances, worked by hundreds of neat, bright girls and thousands of cases shipped daily throughout all parts of the globe. Thus this wine is advertising California wines throughout the world.

If our people had any doubts as to the true merits of California wines these doubts should be removed by the fact that the wine connoisseurs of Switzerland, Belgium, right near France and Italy where wine is cheap and abundant, prefer our California wines and are willing to pay the higher price for it caused by the expense of freight and duty. Germany consumes a large quantity of California wines not only for its consumption but uses considerable in blending its inferior wines so as to bring them up to a fairly good standard.

USES OF WINES.

In order to become accustomed to the use of wine, children and new. wine-drinkers should commence using wine at the table by mixing one-half glass of wine with one-half glass of water. A little sugar for the beginner will perhaps further please the palate. White dry wines are generally used at the commencement of a meal with oysters and fish. Clarets, burgundy and chianti should be used with roasts and meats. A little sherry goes well with the dessert, especially where no champagne is served. Sherry wine is also frequently used and highly recommended by physicians to convalescents with a beaten egg. This is also invigorating and good for people of weak constitutions. A glass of port with cake is a healthy and pleasant beverage and should be substituted for the use of tea at "Teas." It is so served in all parts of Europe among ladies and children, who also when out shopping in the city stop at confectioneries where they take cake and wine to invigorate them for their further tramping.

In the heat of summer nothing is more pleasant and healthier than a

large glass of wine mixed with aerated water. It is invigorating and will quench thirst. White wine with aerated water is a pleasant substitute for champagne, is not so expensive and is not intoxicating, whilst it is effervescent and delicious.

For the curing of colds there is nothing more sure and at the same time pleasant, than a hot bowl of water and wine, about one-half each with a few cloves, cinnamon and sugar.

Sweet wine, such as sherry and port, drunk warm before, retiring, are also excellent remedies for colds.

CALIFORNIA PREPARED TO SUPPLY ALL DEMANDS FOR ITS WINES.

The grape-grower and wine-maker of California have the greatest faith in this growing industry. Already one hundred million dollars have been invested in this great enterprise. Whilst this is not a small sum, it is confidentially expected that one hundred times this amount will be invested in the wine industry of California in years to come. Vineyards are being set out yearly in most all parts of the state and wineries are being built with all modern improvements. There was a time in California when lawyers, merchants and professional men went into the business of wine-making without any experience except the use of a guide book. Useless to say that they soon made a failure, went out of business, and now the industry is principally in the hands of experienced and practical wine-makers. Large capitals have been combined for the exploitation of this great industry. This enables the wine-makers not only to make wine in the most careful manner but to properly age the wines in adequate vessels.

Many wineries in California are built in subterranean caves where the temperature is always equal. In this state may be found the largest wineries in the world, many containing from two to five million gallons each.

At the winery of the Italian-Swiss Colony in Asti, Sonoma County, which has a capacity of five million gallons, may be found the largest wine tank in the world. It contains 500,000 gallons of wine. In this cellar in 1897, after it was first emptied of its lake of ruby liquid, a ball took place at which were invited two hundred representative ladies and gentlemen from San Francisco, who danced to the tune of a military band inside of the wine. tank, the first instance of the kind in the history of the world. On the cover

of this great tank, which is eighty-four feet long and thirty-four feet wide, twenty-five feet deep, lately stood and were photographed the members of the American Bankers Association who visited Asti during their recent annual convention held in San Francisco.

In this same cellar may also be found hundreds of wine tanks containing from 25,000 to 40,000 gallons each and several tanks made of concrete lined inside with glass holding 25,000 gallons each. In these casks is kept for aging the finest wines; everything being as clean as a huge glass bottle.

Most of the California wineries are built alongside of the railroad track so that they can load the cars from inside of their wineries with barrels of wine which are shipped in locked cars and arrive at the door of the customers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico in the identical condition in which they left the wine cellars in California. This guarantees the purity of the wine and that it has not been trifled with.

GRAPE GROWING.

Grape growing has become a fascinating and interesting industry in California. This great industry is bound to increase year by year as the demand for California wines increase. The profits made by the grape-grower are generally very large. The grape commences to produce small crops after the third year, at the fifth year it produces a fair crop and thenceforth an average of five tons of grape to the acre. The price of grapes has varied in California from as low as five dollars per ton to as high as thirty dollars per ton, but since the industry has been placed on a paying basis and controlled in part by large moneyed interests the price of grapes may be safely put down at an average of fifteen dollars per ton. This will give the grapegrower about $75.00 per acre for his grapes, which, after deducting say $15.00 per acre for working the land, will leave him $60.00 per acre net profit. The occupation is pleasant and healthful, and the women and children find grape-picking delightful exercise.

Besides grape-growing, the farmers can grow fruit or any other article. which may be adapted to the locality in which he settles. The climate of California is salubrious and pleasant. We never have excessive heat or excessive cold. On the tops of only a few mountains do we ever see snow, and

I think, I say everything when I assure the reader that in most any part of California can be grown the orange, olive, fig, and the vine, the rose and the pomegranate and everything that is grown in the sunny land of Italy.

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Recently a movement has been started by some public benefactor for the purpose of eliminating all license for the sale of pure table wines. If a law to this effect could be passed by Congress, what a blessing it would be to the people of the United States. In a short time the curse of drunkenness would be removed, for, as has been shown, those who drink wine at their meals have no desire to visit saloons where intoxicating beverages are sold.

The custom of the saloons was introduced into the United States before it was a wine producing country, but in late years it has been clearly demonstrated that fine American wines can be produced in California of as good a quality and in some cases superior to those imported from Europe.

A few years ago the French government, noticing the enormous increase of alcoholism and insanity, appointed a commission of professors and medical men to study the cause of this evil and report its remedy. The committee after due investigation reported that the cause of the increase of drunkenness and insanity was due to the scarcity of wine, as many vineyards had been destroyed by the phylloxera, and that the people who could not obtain their accustomed bottle of wine were using instead strong alcoholic beverages. In order to correct this evil the government of France immediately removed all license and tax on the sale of wines, whilst it increased the burden on the dealer in strong alcoholic drinks, which had the required effect.

Thus it will be seen that by removing or reducing to a minimum the license of the sale of pure wines our people will gradually accustom themselves to the use of this healthy and non-intoxicating beverage, and will eventually become temperate, healthy, happy and better citizens.