Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-18
Raisin and Wine Culture.

$1,000
Raisin and Wine Culture
The favorable turn of these industries in
this State is having the effect to stimulate
their culture very materially in all favorable
localities. Inquiries for cuttings of the
Muscatel, Gordo Blanco and Muscat of Alex
a1dria for raiains, and the Zinfandel, Berger,
Blue Elbe, Burgundy and West st. Peters
are being made all over the State. The area
put into wines, we think, this year will be
greater than in any previous year since the
industry was first inaugurated here. G. G.
Briggs, who has already large vineyards in
Solano and Yolo counties, and whose sales of
raisins this year, we are informed, bring him
an income of $4,000, is preparing to extend
his vineyards iu both counties. His speciality
is the raisin, and we believe he does nothing
in the wine line. H. NJ. Larue, whose farm
is nearly opposite Mr.. Briggs Solano vine
yard, being just across the Putah creek and
in Yolo county, and who has heretofore kept
strictly to grain and stock raising, has
also determined to vary his former
business so much as to plant 100 acres in
vines. He will, however, plant of the
wine varieties not with the view of
making wine himself, but of selling his
grapes to wineries for that purpose. We also
learn that the jackson brothers, near Wood
land, are going to put out an extensive vine
yard, we believe, of the raisin kinds; also,
that G. Cadexiasso, near Capay, in Yolo
county, is also preparing to put in 100 acres.
We only name these particular instances in
this county as they appear to US now. We
have noticed other instances of similar enter
prises in many other counties, and in all of
the counties where the soil and climate are
favorable we have noticed that the wine inter-
est is looking up we'll. We last week called
attention to the modes of planting Some
dig the holes for the cuttings and plant them
as they would trees, but this is expen-
sive and an unnecessary amount of labor.
We also stated that the cuttings are planted
by some by the use of crowbar to make the
holes with, and then they use the bar also TO
press the soil compactlY about the cutting
when in the hole. There is, however, an i'm
plement made on purpose for this use in
planting cuttings. It can be made by any
good blacksmith, and consists of a wedge
shaped blade, with a foot-place so that the
foot can be used in pressing it into the soil /;
and also, being wedge-shaped, is just the
thing to compact the soil about the cutting
after it is in the hole. The cutting should
go to the bottom of the hole, so that the end
will set closely to the SOIL and then the i'm.
plement named will compress it closely from
this point all the way up to the surface. This
we would call attention to as a very impor-
tant particular in planting.
Waiting for the Weed Seed.
One of the very strong objections TO win
ter blowing and seeding of wheat is that this
system OF cultivation does not check the
growth and spread of weeds Much of the |
wheat lands of the State, when this winter |
blowing and seeding has been followed for a
number of years consecutively, has become
very weedy-so weedy in fact that the weeds !
interfere very materially with the growth and |
yield of the crop, and at the same time re-
duces the quality of the grain, as it is difficult
to separate all the weed seed from the grain
When the soil has become foul, summer fall
lowing has to be resorted to to clean it again,
and it is very difficult to clean it entirely by
this process, for the reason that much Of the
seed becomes SO deeply covered that it viii
not terminate, and thus remains uninjured
in the ground for years, or till it is brought
to the surface and exposed again to the air
and light, when it grows as readily as if pur-
posely sown. The best way of keeping down
the weeds under this mode of cultivation is
rains undisturbed till the weed seed lying on
the surface has sprouted. Then if plowed
and cultivated the tender plants Will very
generally be killed or so injured that the grain
will get the start Of them in the race
for life and growth. OF course this plan
necessitates delay in the work that many
do not like to submit to, but in the long run
we are inclined to think the advantages
gained in the cleanness of the crop and the
soil are more than equal to the loss of time
thereby While waiting for the weeds to
start thus, there is generally something for
farmers to busy themselves about that needs
to be done. The yard should be cleaned
cut every fall, and if it has not been done
sooner in the season it should be done imme-
diately after the first rains. as by spreading
the manure over the ground then, the weed
seed contained in it will have a chance to
sprout and be destroyed This season has
been very favorable one for killing the
weed seed by this process of sprouting. The
rains have been followed by fairly warm
weather, and SO damp as to allow and induce
the termination of all seeds on or near the
surface whereas if the rains had been fol-
lowed by dry, sunshiny weather, or by drying
north winds, the surface seed would have
been prevented from terminating and delay
in blowing would have resulted in no benefit.
If the farmers have generally delayed plow-
ing till this time we shall look for pretty clean
wheat fields and for wheat with a small guam
tity of weed seed in next season.
Valuable Wa1Ruts and Chestnuts.
We have received from Felix Gillet, the
well-known nurseryman of Nevada City,
sample of his Prnparturieus walnut and
Marion Combale chestnut. To begin with.
we must say that the specimens are magnif-
cent productions. The Preparturieus walnut
is larger nut than the average of the Eng
ish walnuts imported. It is claimed that it
is much earlier and more prolific bearer
than the common English walnut. 1t not
unfrequently bears when the tree is but three
years old, while the tree of the English walnut
seldom bears before the tree is six or seven
years old. Another advantage of the Proc
parturieus over the English nut is that it