Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01
TIE ouEs>1oS OLE SOILS.

| THE QUESTION OF SOILS.
| AS remarked, grapes grow on all kinds
! OF soils. Do not be worried about the kind
OF soil by amy old maxim you have heard
! Proverbs and aGageS are often canonztd
lies, and do more harm than good. lis
/ fashionable to talk of red soil and volcanic
soils. Italy is all volcanic, but her wine
cuts poor figure i'll the world. and my
reading shows me that the famous vine
yards OF Europe are not distinguished by
their redneSs. On the contrary. many of
them are described as of grayiSh or yellow
iSh granite, Others as calcareous or sandy
| and of light color Some of the great wines
OF France are grown ON granite soil. The
main point is To have comparatively deem
soil, with well-drained subsoil capable OF
retaining moisture, yet not too wet
FERTILIzING.
l would like to incorporate in this article
the different analyses of the soils of North
ern California, made by Professor HilCard.
and of the examples of the constituents of
the soils of certain vineyards in Europe as
published in the often herein quoted report
of Mr.. Wetmore. Those who are inter
ested can send TO him at the University for
his Report of the Professor and his sub
sequent bulletins. The lesson l wish to
enforce is the necessity of Undertaking
nearly all the lands likely TO be set ont in
vines, and this fact is earnestly set forth in
his remarks upon each analysis. He
shows that potash, upon which the vine
draws most deeply, and lime and iron are
usually abundant. but that the soils, nota-
bly, of the Sierra foothills, are deficient in
phosphateS. These can be supplied by an
application of bone meal, manufactured in
San Francisco, An application of 100
pounds to the acre would be a suitable ap-
plication for the first year. Every bone on
the farm should be saved and devoted 70
the vineyard.
CLEARING OF LAND.
Experienced vineyardists may smile at
the detail of the statements following. but
there are many hundreds who are ventur-
ing on neutrality-suspicious., clerks.
physicians, lawyers and mechaniCs-with-
out any previous experience and to them
address myself ! have made serious mis-
takes in my venture, and | wish others 10
avoid them as much as possible. The first
mistake is the almost irrepreSSible desire
to see the land which is cleared immedi-
ateiy planted IN vines. followed by its
qualification. Il mistake from which the
vineyard hardly ever RECEIVERS.
We will start from the beginning Your
land is covered with timber and chaparral
Begin on your chaparral first. Take two
good steady horses, and provide yourself
with two chains or ropes, having at one
end hook and ut the other 4 ring six
inches in diameter. You require two men.
One hooks the chain or rope around the
root of the chaparral and then throws the
chain 0rcr the chapaTral. one Of the men
then inserts piece OF timber two inches in
i. .
bush To prevent the rope being pulled
through the bush; the chain is then
hitchcd to the doubletree and the horses
pull the bush out to the place selected
where man is employed III burning them
Meanwhile the remaining man is en-
ployed III adjusting the chain TO another
bush. Burn the chaparral rs you 90
along. Then proceed 10 attack the timber.
The problem is, which Is the cheapest
mode of
EXTRACTING TIE TIMBER.
Most of the clearing and grubbing has been
done by hand. ! have found it to be the
costiesi process. There are two or three
modes OF doing it at a cheaper rate. One
is to provide block and tackle and pull out
the timber as it stands, having triangular
frame over which the rope passes, sloping
towards the tree, and which acts as a full
crum, and which. by lis rising when the
power is applied, raises the tree from the
soil. Ny own observation teaches me that
the better mode is to cut the tree down and
cut il Immediately into cordwood and en-
ploy a machine to hoist the stump out of
the ground. One machine which ! saw
work to advantage was merely a beam
twenty feet long, attached by a chain TO
the stump; at the end was team of horses
working i'll a circle and twisting the stump
out. | have examined all the stump
puliers published i'll the Patent Office Re
ports III the State Library, and found the
simplest to be one manufactured in Ohio
1t is q derrick of three columns to which Is
suspended il wheel, ratchetcd over il is a
lever having q hook that catches on TO the
teeth of the wheel and movable at pleasure.
On the center OF the wheel is a shaft, to
which is chain and pulleys Such a
machine is simple and cheap and am
persuaded will do good work. After the
stumps are out and the trash gathered and
burned suminer-ialiow the land and rest
content. Don't put in vines that yetr.
You will not lose BY the delay.
PREPARATION FOR PLAYrING.
Provide a subsoilcr-the Moline is the
best plOW your land one way and then
cross plow. followed by 4 subsoiier. | no
ticc ole writer in Placer advocates sJGbs0iI-
ing first. bv so doing vcu ONLY inCsss.se the
labor of vour team, as is manifest he
walks on ground the last blowing. into
! which his feet sink deeply. Harrow twice
! t. be followed bv a clod-masher. which has
| two u,Irposcs-one 10 pulyerize the soil and
| the other to provide a smooth surface
| which Facilitates uc9riulr and afford, . line
as 4 Guide for the pronqr planting of tLf
| cutting or root.
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