San Andreas independent., 1856-11-15
For the San Andreas Independent.
The Grape Vine.

The grape vine, although held In the
emblematical category of plants as the pro-
totype of intoxication, is, nevertheless,
the prolific parent of rare and envlable
luxuries, which no State or nation can out
rival California in producing.
If Bacchus, who is said to have first
taught the use of the vine in making wine
Tin honor of which he wore the first crown
ever made, and which was made of vine
leaves, had originated the device of man.
ufacturing this exciting beverage in the
nineteenth century, the people would un-
doubtedly have held him in as high and
grateful esteem, as did the Grecians, who
conferred upon him the exalted title of a
god. Pliny tells us, that "the vinesprang
from the blood of the giants; who, having
made war on the gods, perished in battle. ;"
From the treatment in many instances we
have seen given this plant, which holds up
its grateful head, and frequently fourishes
under the most cruel treatment, we are in
clined to believSthat the tacit influence
OF Grecian superstition has still something
to do with modern notions, in governing
the actions of grape growers 1t is be-
lieved, by many, that the vine fourishes
best planted upon soil saturated with the
blood of animals and in many establish
ments, great expense has been incurred in
collecting carious matter, such as slaugh-
ter-house offal, dead cattle and the like,
for the purpose of enriching the soil for
the grape vine. Nothing is more errone-
Gus than this system Of bringing putrid
animal matter into Immediate contact with
the tender flaments of plant. Instead of
having vivifying influence, they rather
destroy the spongioles delicate and
hair-like organs of absorption. The soil
best suited for the grape, is light porous
virgin soil, made generous by liberal appli-
cations of decayed vegetable matter, stable
manure, road-scrapings, &c; besides, horns,
hoofs, bones, oyster-shells, old shoes, and
other substances of slow decomposition
all thoroughly incorporated with the soil
before the vines are planted A position
should be selected for a vineyard where
the sub-soil is neither cold nor retentive
of moisture In cold, moist sub-soils, the
excrementitious discharges of the grape
vine-which are very great are retained,
and produce diseases
PRoPAGATIoN-Th method of propa-
cation most generally followed, and that re-
quiring the least care and attention, is by
slips OF cuttings. These cuttings should
be at least two feet, or four joints long
the lower end of which should be cut close
to the joint or bud, thereby leaving no
wood at its lower extremity but what the
action of the bud incites to active life
They should be planted in trench made
with the spade at least fifteen inches deep,
or sufficiently deep to admit of two joints
of the entire cutting being covered with
soil. The trench should be so made that
the cuttings, when planted, will stand in a
leaning posture-say about forty degrees.
A foot apart will be none too much for the
cuttings to stand in the drill. In plant
ing cuttings, care should be taken not to
force them to the required depth by the
hand, for by SO doing, the bark at the ex-
tremity may be so disturbed that disease of
the part is sure to occur; of which there
is little danger, if the cutting is carefully
laid in the trench, and the soil pressed
firmly against it with the hand in sufficient
quantity to hold them in their places, while
spade or hoe may be used to finish the
filing up, and smooth the ground. Pro
pagation from the single eye is to be pre-
ferred to slips or cuttings; but as it re-
quires more time and attention to raise
plants in this manner, those totally un-
skilled in the art would fail to have that
success they would by the former method
1t would be superfuous to say that cut
tings ought to be well ripened wood of
one summers growth, gathered at the fall
or winter pruning of the vines, which
ought to be done in the early part of De
cember, in this locality, at latest; or when
the vines have shed all their leaves and
the wood is thoroughly ripe. The cuttings
now gathered should be buried in sand, or
in soil, where there is plenty of drainage
until early spring, when they may be Ia