Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-11
THE yIrrcULTuRAL COMMISSION.
Observations of the Executive Officer
Ravages OF the Grasshoppers Slight.
IS. f. Bulletin, July 10TH

IS. F. Bulletin, July 10th
Charles A. Wetmore, Executive Officer of
| the Fiticultural Commission, returned yes
| .erday from the Folsom and Placervilc
vineyards. He reports the rayages of grass
hopperS at those places as very Slight, ex-
cept in spots along the roadwavs and in
| some uncultivated portions of land He
| has recommended in cases where the pest
has seriously damaged young vines to the
extent of destroying all the foliage and
young wood leaving them in q condition
of apparent death, that it would be best,
where practicable, to give them q coed
| irrigation at the present time, in order to
| force out new growth. Where the pest
has destroyed the foliage on vines that are
| bearing, the grapes will probably not he of
any value. unless new growth should be
/ induced by immediate irrigation. Crops of
grapes in these sections of the country ap-
pear to be of good average, but not as
| large as might have been expected. The
same difficulty is noticeable there, however,
| that has been reported from other sections,
an apparently uneven development OF fruit.
! indicating that great care will have to be
taken in gathering, as some Of the berries
will ripen earlier than others.
There is prospect generally Of an early
vintage. In the experimental vineyards
| containing gratis of foreign vines, imported
! by the Natoma Company, the Petite Syrah,
! Mondeuse and the Madeira and Sherry
! stocks were particularly noticeable as prom
! Using To bear well in that region.
| At PlaCerville Mr.. Wetmore found a
practice Of keeping dry Mission and lin
| tandel red wines on tap for months with
| out filling the casks. circumstance which
| indicates endurance in the wines OF that
| locality which might be-taken advantage OF
! 70, Oh ;,n1 of
| Spain, where similar method is pursued.
A local society will be formed in Placer
| vile, which will be of assistance i'll dis
| seminating useful information in regard to
| grape culture. Very little fungoid disease
| has yet appeared upon the vines visited,
| but growers must be cautioned against the
use Of sulphur during the summer, rs is
usual, if there should come rain sufficient
| to wet the foliage down, using il only when
| the weather and vines are dry.
Charles Sutro son of Adolph Sutro, Of
! this city. writes 10 the Commission from
Bordeaux, describing a new method OF
| treating gratis during the early spring, so
| as to preserve them from the action OF the
weather until the warm atmosphere is
ready to make them grow vigorously, con-
| sis!iug in covering the graft with a small
sheet of tarred paper placed over itin the
| form of a little tent and held fast 10 the
ground by soil packed about its edges.
The report from Dr. Stillman, Of Iugo-
mia, near San Benardino. contains the I'M
welcome information that the Muscatel
variety has again been blighted on light
sandy soils in his vicinity He reports also
that the seedIess Sultana appears to fail to
produce remunerative crops on the same
kind of land, but thinks it viii do better on
heavier soil. Other varieties, such as the
Iinfandel, are doing well.
1t is believed by the Viticultural Com
missioners that the demand for Muscatel
grapes this year will far exceed the supply,
as the Spanish product viii doubtless be
quarantined on account Of the cholera. 1t
is recommended that other varieties be used
for -aiSin-lnnkino