investment of labor and capital than this, and the attention of some of the most intelligent capitalists of the country is being given to it.  In this connection I cannot forbear referring to the action of the Government in regard to our native wines.  By the National Excise Law of 1862 a tax of five cents a gallon was laid upon all wine made in the country.  No tax has yet been laid upon agricultural productions generally, and only three per cent, upon manufactures.  Now wine certainly falls properly under the head of agricultural productions.  Upon this ground it might justly claim exemption from taxation.  The wine-growers of California allege that the tax is oppressive and impolitic:  oppressive, because it is equal to one-fourth of the original value of the wine, and because no other article of production or manufacture is taxed in anything like this proportion; impolitic, because the business is now in its infancy, struggling against enormous difficulties, among which may be mentioned the high price of labor, rate of interest, and cost of packages, making it difficult to compete with the wines of Europe, which have already established themselves in the country, and which are produced where interest is only three per cent. per annum, and the price of labor one-quarter of what it is in California.  In addition to this there is the prejudice which exists against American wines, but which, happily, is passing away.  The vintners ask only to be put upon the same footing as manufacturers, namely, an ad valorem tax of three per cent.; and they say that the Government will derive a greater revenue from such a tax than from the one now in force, as they cannot pay the present tax, and, unless it is abated, they will be obliged to abandon the business.  Efforts are being made to induce Congress to modify it, and it is to be hoped they will be successful.

In 1861 California sent a commissioner to Europe, to procure the best varieties of vines cultivated there, and also to report upon the European culture generally.  The gentleman selected for the mission was Colonel Haraszthy, to whom I am indebted for many of my statistics, and who has given us a very interesting book on the subject.  He brought back a hundred thousand vines, embracing about fourteen hundred varieties.  These were to have been planted and experimented upon under the auspices of the State.  What the result has been I am unable to say; but we are informed upon good authority that over two hundred foreign varieties are now successfully cultivated.  Such being the fact, it is a fair presumption that we are soon to make wines in sufficient variety to suit all tastes.