Italian Wines.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 80, 13 December 1884, Page 4

Italian Wines.

So far as quantity goes, Italy has in several recent years outdone France — in 1878 and 1879 to the extent of 2,000,000 hecoiitres— and the production in Italy is now increasing and admits of far greater increase. Taking the average of the last five years, France takes the lead, the mean production being nearly 34,000,000 hectolitres; then comes Italy, with over 27,000,000 ; then Austro-Hungary, with 24,000,000 ; then Spain with 22,000,000. Germany produces only 2,000,000— a little over twice as much as Switzerland, and not twice as much as Greece. In considering the exports we must, of course, be carefal to distinguish those countries in which the Italian wines are drank from those in which they are made up and re-exported under false titles. Two-thirds of the whole Italian exports of wine go to France for the latter purpose ; about an eighth comes to England (of which Marsala probably forms by far the greater part) as abeverage ; and Switzerland, standing next in order, takes pne- tenth. Of the wines imported into Switzerland, those of Piedmont and the Valtallina probably form the majority. They are used in their natural state by the Swiss themselves, and by the thousands of tourists who crowd the Alps in the summer and autumn. Germany takes about one fifty-eighth, partly for remanufacture; and Uruguay, where there are large numbers of Italian colonists, about the same quantity for consumption. Other countries take comparatively littlo.

Speaking of Spiritualism in the course of a recent sermon, Talmage said : — •' It is an unclean and adulterous religion, and the sooner it goes down to the pit from which it came the better for humanity. Spiritualism produces insanity all over the land. If yon put your hand in the hand of this influence it will lead you down to hell, where there is an everlasting seance. Spiritualism ruins the soul and makes men infidels."