Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01

Cultivation should begin as soon a.
the rains are over. to be followed b,
another cultivation after the bloom has
set; by no means so into the vineyard
with team while the vine is blooming
the third cultivation can take place il
July. Cultivation should be by cult
vator which gently lifts the soil, going
both ways in the vineyard. This leaves
the land in small ridges which exposes too
much soil 10 the sun, and should be
smoothed down by a harrow, teeth set
slanting backward or by the Acme harrow.
which does perfect work, or by Il clod
masher.
QUESTION or IRRIGATION.
Cultivation suggests the question of irri-
CATION. There seems to be Il widespread
apprehension that irrigation is necessary III
northern California. \ San Francisco
journal not long ago contained an editorial
which expressed the opinion that it was
useless to expect to raise fruit and berries
III the foothills without irrigation. Nothing
could be further from the truth. admit
that in the case of berries where more than
one crop is desired, irrigation is necessary :;
nut IN respect 10 fruit trees and srapeyincS
irrigation Is rather detrimental than other
wise. Perhaps | may be pardoned for re-
ieFring to Il district of which ! have per-
Sohal knowledge. | refer to the country
between Fenryn and Rockln. in Placer
county The soil IS granite ranging from
Tour 10 ten feet deep; near penryn il is a
odrK-red, and shading of towards Rocklin
10 areddish-g0y. The rainfall averages -
inches, spring sets in early, the summers
are quite waria, so il NAV be said that there
IS long heated term. There are in this
district Il number OF old and lull-bcaring
orchards which nave never been irrigated
RESULTS WITHOUT IRRIGATION.
The exhibit OF apples, peaches. plumS.
grapes. potatoes. tomatoes. corn and water
melons from this district at the last State
Fair, was made for the express purpose OF
showing what could be done ,citiogt irriqa-
tim, and it can safely be said that the cx-
hibit was not surpassed by any at the fair.
and attracted deserved attention. | know
of a case where ten acres of vines were set
out rs late as April I, 1850, and nearly all
grew vigorously without one drop of water
afterwards applied. OF another case. where
twenty acres of orchard containing all the
usual varieties of fruit, including fig and
nut trees. were planted late in the spring of
1884, and ali grew vigorously without irri-
cation. To those who live in northern
.
but the impression does exist, | know not
why, that horticulture and viticuliure are
failures in northern California unless by
the aid of irrigation. In view of the efforts
now being made to induce immigration to
Our section of the State, the facts should be
clearly stated and given wide circulation.
RESISTANT VINES
| would fail i'll the purpose of this article
did | not cali attention 10 the necessity of
planting resistant vines. How any one
can be so blind and needless as to plant
varieties of grapes which are subject to the
ravages OF phylloXera is beyond my COM
prehension, There is scarcely a district
north OF San Francisco where the insect
cannot be found. Its progress may be slow,
owing 20 the absence in any considerable
number OF the winged insect, but its at
tacks are sure to come. There is an amount
OF merton among vineyardists, in respect
to the adoption OF such preventive meas
urcS as are offered, as to be appalling, and
use the last word advisedly. The remedy
IS simple and at the same time profitable
in the end, the only remedy that promises
complete protection, and that is to plant
resistant vines.
THE WILD GRAPEVINE
That grows in protuSion along the banks
of our streams, botanically known as the
'ais tdlJorHicd, has been proved, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, 10 be a complete
protection. The advantages 10 be derived
from planting this vine is not alone one of
resistance to the phylloxera, but it impartS
its vigorous habit to the scion grated
thereon, and thus the product of the vine
yard is increased beyond what would be
the growth upon the foreign variety grow
ing on its own stalk. | estimate, by COM
parison between vines planted ungrafted
and grated vines planted at the same time
and in the same kind of soil, that the
grated vines will produce one-third more
grapes than the migrated vines. Thus YOU
have complete protection from insect raw
ages and 81 increased yield of fruit. The
cost OF grating, for labor alone. will not
exceed ten dollars per acre-which | firmly
believe will be repaid the second year of
bearing by the increase of product
The vine grows in the most arid stu
atoms, stands the heats of summer is
hardy and il not easily frosted and readily
takes the graft. One advantage is that hare
do not like its shoots. which seem to con-
tain some bitter principal disliked by the
genus Lepus.
PROPAGATION AND GRATING.
The seeds can be gathered in the fall and
planted in the spring in a nursery and
transplanted in the fall of the wear. and the
stock can be grated when the vine has
been one year in the vineyard. Care should
be taken that the grapes from which the
seeds are taken do not grow in the prOX-