Three prominent reasons maybe given in support of the claims of California to be considered a wine-producing State.  First, her soil possesses a large amount of magnesia and lime, or chalk.  Specimens of it, taken from various localities, and carried to Europe, when chemically tested and submitted to the judgment of competent men, have been pronounced to be admirably adapted to the purposes of wine-culture.  Then, the climate is all that could possibly be desired,—­as during the growth and ripening of the grapes they are never exposed to storms of rain or hail, which often destroy the entire crop in many parts of Europe.  As an evidence of the great superiority enjoyed by California in this respect, it may be remarked, that, while the grape-crop here is a certainty, “the oldest inhabitant” not remembering a year that has failed of a good yield,—­in Europe, on the contrary, in a period of 432 years, from 1420 to 1852, the statistics exhibit only 11 years which can be pronounced eminently good, and but 28 very good,—­192 being simply what may be called “pretty good” and “middling,” and 201, or nearly one-half, having proved total failures, not paying the expenses.  Again, the enormous productiveness of the soil is an immense advantage.  We make on an average from five hundred and fifty to six hundred and fifty gallons of wine to the acre.  The four most productive of the wine-growing districts of Europe are—­

Italy, giving to the acre 441 1-2 gallons
Austria and her provinces, 265 5-6 "
France, 176 2-7 "
Nassau, 237 1-2 "

Of these, it will be perceived, that Italy, the most prolific, falls fully one hundred and fifty gallons short of the average yield per acre in California.—­In this connection the following account of a grape-vine in Santa Barbara may be interesting:—­

“Four miles south of the town there is a vine which was planted more than a quarter of a century since, and has a stalk now about ten inches thick.  The branches are supported by a train or arbor, and extend out about fifty feet on all sides.  The annual crop of grapes upon this one vine is from six to ten thousand pounds, as much as the yield of half an acre of common vines.  It is of the Los Angeles variety.  There is a similar vine, but not so large, in the vineyard of Andres Pico, at San Fernando.”

It is well known that California has within her borders five million acres of land suitable for vine-culture.  Suppose it to average no larger yield than that of Italy, yet, at 25 cents a gallon, it would give an income of $551,875,000.  That this may not seem an entirely chimerical estimate, it may be remarked that trustworthy statistics show that in France five millions of acres are planted in vines, producing seven hundred and fifty millions of gallons, while Hungary has three millions of acres, yielding three hundred and sixty millions of gallons.  If it is asked, Supposing California capable of producing the amount claimed for her, what could be done with this enormous quantity of wine? the answer may be found in the experience of France, where, notwithstanding the immense native production, there is a large importation from foreign countries, besides a very considerable consumption of purely artificial wines.