Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1884-10-30
Crane Drafting.

In looking over the report Of the last meet
ing Of the Grapegrowers Clnb IN the col
umns OF your valuable paper on the above
subiret lind several inaccuracies, which,
ms ii ~ ian terve 20 mislead the inexperi-
encsd, and have this simple ana cheap
operation appear much more ditlcult ahh
costly In their eyes, take the liberty TO cor
rect, SO ~ to make them appear In their true
First. as 10 the essay read by Mr. Adolph
Flamant the statements Ia which may read
ny be excused by the writer's inexpenence.
hit which may serve to mislead others even
less experienced. As the writer has taken
the management Of his vineyards only since
January last, until which time they were
under my charge, and AS he does not w9fk
with the men he has employed, II l. but
n iturnl that he should make mistakes. II Is
al entirely different thing 10 picture the
Management OF vineyard from French
perlodicals and to accept the statements OF
Inc socalled French experts employed, than
manage the work and do Il yourself.
First as 10 his preference for the Callfor
Mica a. n grapc-bearor. II ne would exam
inc his own vineyard closely, he would ind
that the Callfornca only grows wen III
either adobe or rich. loainy soil, while In
dry, stony and 50 called alknli soil II Will not
grow at all, while the kaparia and ElNira
will grow equally well IN adobe and mnch
better IN the dry soil than the. cnliiornica-
They may be very much mixed In his own
HHrserg: Ia the rfnspdrd they are planted
separately aud apart. except n very lew HI
yiras which remained from the hfsi season
paintings with cuttings in 1881. when thu
vineyards were not under my chtrge, ant
which are certainly not over Ave per cent
They were planted In blocks, distinct nnt
apart, In the winter Of 1852 extending iron
east TO west, and the few Elvlras can lbs tts
tinguished at glance by their stronger ant
more stoeky growth and larger leaves. ~
Il seems they were pruncd indiscrminattli
and 80 planted In nursery.
From my practical observation during tht
last three years, aud the results oi GRATING
this year, | would place the Elyifa first, rs
il succeeds In diversity Of soils aud Is 4
stockicr and cleaner grower, impafiihf nl
its yigor to the graft. The next OF them
would he the Wild Riparla, and would nol
plant the California; ut all for the following
reasons.
ist II does not propagate ~ readily hs the
RipHria varieties.
"a. II does not succeed In AZ soils
I'd. Its resistance Is not fully proven u
roots are TO soft aud spongy, resembling the
Tinifera In that respect, althongh It's sfeltel
,jRor may give II greater vitality and thus
enable II to resist the Insect successfully. a,
When have in the Rlparia aud IT'S cult
waited varieties a stock which Is known 20 bt
fully resistant, which grows ensief from
cuttings aud which grows In greater diver
sity Of soils, while Its cuttings can be %
tnincd lust ~ cheap aud Ms readily, prefer
the Klpafia MS certain 70 inc uhceitninty o.
the Cailfornlcn. ! venture To say that MI
Flninnnt can show no such gratis on tnliiur
Mica MS can show on Riparias and Elyira
nor ~ good general success.
As 70 grating on your stocks, whilc d'
not advocate grating when n vue IL over ~
inch and half In diameter, as the labor ],
greatly increased thereby, | do not find 4
practical nor anything gained by grating
vines when too small. They do not hold tn,
readily. as when from u OF m incl
90 ~ inch. As to the earlier
production, that only exists In tn,
Imagination of Mr.. Flnmant. Every practi
cal grape grower knows that II is rliihous Il
u young vine 10 ovcrtax Its bearing power
before II IL strong enough 10 make yig0r
Gus growth aud also produce n crop of per
feet fruit. It Is like putting the load whicl
n strong, vigorous man may find easy to bca
upon the shoulders Of n feeble child Ontl
from strong, well developed vine can ",
expect an abundance of perfect fruit.
As to the division Of labor. ! have found
division Of six men T-Onc To clear he grpnu'
from the vine, one to cut the stalk horizon
tally aud vertically, one to cut the sclons
one to insert them, one TO tie aud ON
to cover up around the graft
the most economical aud the most perfect
Such II gang will graft 300 per day, ant
do IL well As ! make II point 10 h,
with them myself, or have a conpc
t,nt foreman to oversee aud WOrI
with them, there is no delay by talking an.
waiting, they need not wait upon Gael
other, ns when one get, behind the other
can help him out aud each nne does hli
work completely and well Ms he has hut On,
very simple operation Ia perform: Thus
grating, including cost oi sci9ls, does MOI
cost over ~ per acre Add to this the cost q
Suckerlng during the first summer, whicl
may amount to about the same, and W fol
regrafting and suckering what may miss tn,
second Summer. and we have u total cost %
xl2 an acre to convert vineyard three
The most approved and foreign kinds. rhi
additional cost | consider fully balanced
by the greater yigor of growth and pro
duction In the first two years ! hay,
CRAFTS now on the Riparia and Elvira two
years old grated this spring, which hav'
i've pounds Of grapes this summer; hav'
made Il growth OF from Ave to eight feet
aud are able to bear fifteen pounds o
grapes next year. These of conrse are ex
ceptiOns; hut the majority Of last spring
gratis, where they ARE on fair soil, cln pro
duce five pounds of grapes tn the vine mex
year. This was the estimate | made at thu
meeting, net simply the cost of grating, hu
also adding the cost of suckerlng aud graft
ing the missing vines (Which will not ex
ceed ten per cent generally, and whicl
was not fully given by the Register. Mr.
Flamant has no suckerlng In his estimate
and have no doubt that grating alon,
costs him fully what he estimates by hi
method, II not more,
As to the roots, which the graft may form
above the junction, do not Intend to en-
them NJ all As graft hut one or two inchei
below the surface, the graft Is not apt I,
strike roots Of any consequence in our dry
summers, and even should II do 50 and
phylloxera destroy these roots In after years
II viii have no serious effect, rs the main
roots of the vines ARE below, where they find
moisture, ana form the resistant stock
when they are grated deep II may be al
visable to cut them OFF but, IN my opinion
shallow grating Is best, rs the Insect has
then no chance to work on either Ninifera
stock or roots.
From prpS pI,t prpSpprts | am Inclined Ii