Wine, Brandy, and Olive Oil [pp. 175-179]

8Wine, Brandy, and Olive Oil.
be remedied through the corporation
proposed, by keeping the goods in good
condition, and reducing the number of
kinds and qualities by massing them into
a few large lots, that could be publicly
recognized as standards of the State's
production, and sold, advertised, and
quoted as such. With these values the
capitalists could soon become familiar,
and loan their money intelligently thereon.
The standard wines and brandies of
each season would be known far and
wide, more or less favorably in contrast
with preceding vintages, and thus a national reputation could be earned by
exercising a careful and scientific supervision over a large, specific output,
which would be of ever increasing merit,
and serve to subdue the present constant apprehension of danger to health
and life in using articles that are manipulated and sophisticated in a thousand
ways by a multitude of people, who may
be to a great extent unconscious of the
deleterious nature of their work.
At the official headquarters in the
city there should be ample room for the
comfortableaccommodation of the stockholders, and generous samples of their
products. Running accounts could be
kept with all the producers, purchases
made on their account, and cash received, advanced, or paid out, if deemed
advisable. Periodical reports of the condition of the crop could be made up by
the association from blank forms distributed among the producers, and made
returnable at stated periods. Producers
would here learn from the practical experience of their co-laborers what particular grape or olive gave the most assurance of ultimate success, and under what
circumstances. They could also gain such
a knowledge of the current management
of their city business as to detect at
once any irregularity, waste, or mismanagement on the part of their officials and
employees.
So associated, the producers would be
intelligently informed in relation to the
supply and demand for their products in
the various markets of the world, and
they would not be subject to serious loss
by the art and caprices of speculators,
whose sole object is to buy as cheaply
as possible, and manipulate the product
with the view of gain, and not of plain,
honest purity, or a wholesome regard
for consumers.
It is possible that in due time, when
the production of the State is large
enough, and the quality and quantity of
the product widely known, that periodical sales of large quantities at public
auction would bring better returns than
sales by present methods.
The cultivation of the'olive is assuming very large proportions, and covering
a wider extent of country, perhaps, than
the grape. In fact, the tree seems to do
well everywhere, and from present indications the production of olive oil will
in the near future be one of the largest
and most promising industries of the
State.
. Olives can be transported safely for
long distances by rail and water, and a
large portion of the skillful labor required in their preparation for market is
of the same nature as that for wine and
brandy.
It would encourage the extension of
the business very much if olives could
be gathered from all parts of the State,
and manufactured, bottled, packed,
cased, and sold, by an association of
good standing, that would warrant the
absolute purity of the oil, and attend to
the business in an economical and judicious manner.
The great saving from the economical methods that would assuredly follow
the operations of the proposed corporation, would place the producers in a position to compete favorably in prices with
the producers of other countries, and
thus relieve their own market, in the
case of over-production, by exporting
any surplus.
178
[August,