Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-08-04
ABOUT GRAPES.
The Appearance of the Crop -Proba-
Bile Price and Future Prospects :
Why Autumn Cannot Garry Out
the Undertakings OF Spring
More Room Needed.


The price of grapes for the maturing
crop is an object Of much solicitude.
In the early part Of the season it was
supposed that there would be an over
whelming crop, but as the grapes, in the
course of growth, carried out the doc
trino Of the survival of the fittest, o
large number were cast off, so the
crop remains much less than full crop,
but excellent in quality. There are
about 10, 900, 600 vines in good bearing in
this county, (not 500, 900, as reported in
a contemporary, aud about 10000, 900
vines planted. part Of which are a year
old, and part are but five months
planted. Although some of the vines,
which are from twenty to hundred
years old, are not bearing as heavily as
they have sometimes borne, still the
younger vines are increasing their yield,
SO that there will be an increase in the
crop over any former season. At the
same time the consumption Of wine,
raisins and brandy is constantly in
creasing, and with lower freights the
shipment of grapes is doubling in
amount with each recurring year, while
the rapid increase of the population of
the southwestern country makes a large
and constant home demand. All these
elements seem to indicate that there
will be steady market at the usual
price of $50 per ton. The wine-make ers
are in good condition, with all their fine
old wine sold and gone, and will start off
in the new vintage with good spirits
and good bank account. The appre-
hension of an overwhelming crop, that
would reduce the price 25 per cent, has
passed away, and it appears evident
that. with the greatly increased facili-
ties for making wine, the crop will be
speedily used up with profit to buyer
and seller alike.
The question is often asked by grape.
growers, why ii is that in May and
June their vineyards give promise of
abundant yield and in August do not
fulfill the expectations of the early
part of the season. The reason is
obvious, by considering the conditions in
which the vines are grown. A vine
grown alone, with no tree or vines to
dispute With it for moisture, or vegeta-
bic mold and potash, will sometimes
bear thousand or more pounds of
grapes, but let vines be planted but six
feet apart, and by the time they are
eight months old The roots come into
contact and strife follows for the finest
clements Of the soil. With each season
the strife is intensified, the roots be-
come interlaced, and an unending war
fare begins which at last ends in weak
ness, disease, insects and death. Vines
that are flooded from time to time. with
water that carries fertilizing materials,
will continue to bear heavily from year
to year, but the non-irrigated vineyard
planted six feet apart, will not mature
all the grapes with which it starts out
under the stimulus and cheer of the show,
ers and dews Of spring. Fresh air
and food are as essential to the well
being of grapevine as to that Of
a human being The grapes on crowded
vines are small and deficient in sacchar-
inc matter. The people are slowly be-
coming enlightened in this matter, and
are beginning to plant grapevines twelve
feet apart, instead of six feet, as
The vine grows to great
size in our rich soil, and becomes as
widely rooted as any fruit tree, possesses
greater longevity than the majority of
fruit trees, and needs plenty of room.
The new Fresno vineyards that are
planted l0xl2 feet apart are yielding
great, luscious clusters of grapes, that
are delight to look upon. Our raisin
makers are waking up to the propriety of
planting their vines at o generous dil-
tance apart. and the result is
larger clusters, larger raisins and better
prices. There is no use in trying to
cheat nature by overtaxing. 1t cannot
be done. Give vines and trees plenty of
room and careful cultivation, and good
fruit, and plenty Of it, win be the result.
Vines should not be huddled together
like sardines in box, or humanity in a
house. There is much room
for improvement in grape culture in Los
and we hope the good work
will go steadily onward.
The Progress of Our New Buildings.