Fraternity-Testvériség, 1958 (36. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1958-01-01 / 1. szám
FRATERNITY 9 Now he asked American consuls to send him shipments from Portugal, Greece, Egypt and other countries he had not been able to visit. He left his family in Paris, and by December 5, 1861, he was back in California. At Sonoma he hastened to put the finishing touches on his book, which was to appear in 1862 under the title, “Grape Culture, Wines and Wine-Making, With Notes Upon Agriculture and Horticulture.” He included extracts from his celebrated “Report on Grapes and Wines of California”, written for the California State Agricultural Society in 1858; however, he modified some of the instructions slightly because of what he had learned both as a vineyardist and traveler. Also in the book were translations of important treatises collected on the trip. There were arguments, too, by Haraszthy to support the development in California of fruit-drying, silk culture and the growing of various plants for the making of sugar. In January, 1862, Haraszthy, as commissioner, sent the Legislature a report on his trip. “Various examinations”, he stated, “confirmed my previous conviction that California is superior in all the conditions of soil, climate and other natural advantages to the most favored wine-producing districts of Europe, and that it actually has yielded more per acre. All this State wants to produce generous and noble wine is the varieties of grapes from which the most celebrated wines are made, and the same care and science in its manufacture . . . “I have purchased in different parts of Europe 100,000 vines, embracing about 1,400 varieties (elimination of duplications later brought this down to about 300), and small lots of choice almonds, olives, oranges, lemons, figs, pomegranates, Italian chestnuts — enough to propagate from by grafts.” All these, Haraszthy said, were due to reach San Francisco by steamer on January 23, 1862, in the care of Wells, Fargo & Company; he was not yet able “to state the exact amount of cost and charges to your honorable body.” “The California Farmer” of February 21, 1862, printed a letter in which Haraszthy informed the Governor of California: “In accordance with your directions I have taken charge of the grapevines and fruit trees, arrived from Europe, and purchased for the use of the State ... I am at present occupied in making hotbeds and planting the more exquisite varieties in pots buried in said hotbeds. We have a large number of cuttings, which I am planting in open air for rooting, confident that, if no extraordinary event happens, there will be 300,000 rooted vines ready for distribution next Fall.” The letter went on to urge that the Legislature make plans for statewide distribution and also reimburse Haraszthy for his past and future outlays upon the vines and trees; $12,000 would probably be enough. At nurserymen’s rates the plants and vines would be worth more than $30,000, the letter added, and “to the people of this State they will in time be worth as many millions.” Haraszthy was right about this last estimate but wrong in expecting to get any money from the State Legislature. In April, 1862, the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture divided, 3 to 2. The majority recommended against payment, citing the low state of the public treasury, the lack of
