Wichita eagle., 1886-12-31
ON GRAPE CULTURE.
some FACTS ABOUT CALIFORNIA;
GROWING INDUSTRY.

Little Left to Will or Nature-"Slips'
or "Cuttings''-A Well Trimmed Vine
yard-Gathering the Fruit.
/ am going to set down some facts about
grapes and this very great industry which /
have come across out hero in the California
In the first pllce, it may not
be generally known that we gather two crops
a year out here from the most Of our vines.
But this Is the case. 1t seems strange to see the
great wide green fields of grapes still continue
green as green as it is possible for green to be,
all the season through, without drop of
water, and go right on and blossom and bear
a second crop SO soon IS tho first one Is
gathered; and it is e fact to store up in your
memory and set down to tho credit of Cali
fornia.
There are perhaps fifty kinds Of vines here;
maybe 1 could safely double that number.
But the most popular grape is Hungarian
variety We uss no Spanish vines ROW el-
cept the hardy and honest Old emission grape"
And where the mission grape came from no
one now can tell. OF course it is of Spanish
origin, brought here by the monks; but it is
not to be found in any part Of Spain now.
This, the mission grape, which was for many
years the only kind Of grape grown in Cali
fornia, is not used for wine-making at all
now, nor is it grown to any great extent.
But it is good table grape, and the few re-
naming vineyards of this variety are de-
voted to ths table and to tho making of
brandy.
The great Improvement in California wines
within the last few years is due largely TO the
improvement in the plant 1t would only
lead to confusion, and few would care to read
the long list of rare grapes that you almost
daily here about here in the heart of the
greatest grape land in the world, and so
will not give the names, but the search for
rare and suitable grapes is jealous and per
sistent all over the world. Men are kept con-
stantly travelling in Europe and Asia seeking
new varieties.
MODERN GRAPE CULTURE.
The verlnin which attacked and destroyed
the vines OF France is q sort of louise which
destroys the root of tho vine. 1t has made its
appearance in California, but its advance has
been checked, and its further progress Is not
greatly feared. Still, it Is conceded that the
Californian who claimed to have discovered a
certain remedy, and secured patent for the
same, has not yet received the millions which
France and Italy offered as reward. | may
mention that when the panic incident to the
appearance Of the verlnin in the grape fields
here was at its height the grape growers re-
sorted to the Missouri grapes, with good re-
suits The louise does not attack American
vines, only imported ones.
But there is little left to the will or the
nature OF the vine in modern grape culture.
You will have to tear down all the Chamber
I'D IN mir
ture on their vases or in their poems There
is little left that is poetic in tho grape here.
There is nothing that is even beautiful except
this one broad sea Of green, and this is beaut-
full indeed when brought into sharp contrast
with the yellow and ,1lssot and tawny old
Eon-like hills which tower up and hang high
over these emerald seas Of vine.
1.-THE grape is not raised from either the
seed or root, but from slips or cuttings
like the cane in tho southern states. You
can cut of almost any part Of a grapevine
and stick it in tho ground, give it anything
like half chance, and in Less than three
years it will be clinging to rock or stump
brier or bush, anything that Is nearest, cover
ing I'D with it's wonderously beautiful leaves
and tendrils all tie hard angles and ugly
features OF whatever it clinss to, trying it.
best to make this beautiful world still mort
beautiful. Another evidence Of its sweet
femininity. But after this "cutting" has take1
root and had one or two years OF leisure ono
| liberty in the nursery, it il dug up and set IL
regimental line, 10 moro to run not or grow
and reach out and cling, and cover up tli'
| iolIies and the faults Of othsra
WELL TRIMMED VINEYARD.
These cuttings are now planted about a
| wide apart-one In each hill-as corn in tn
great corn fields Of tbs west. And it is a
once cut down almost to tho ground. As
said before, you must abandon ali your ok
picture ideas founded on Bible tales or ira
ditions from profana history. For the crap
in California is permitted to be oaly a stump
Every year it is shorn down almost to tn
ground Ont yondor in tho alniost shore
less sea of green grapeviIfs you can fin
stumps of craps trees shncst a. thick es you
body. But the vines arc only OF this year
growth A well trimmed vineyard il Cali
fornia, after the last crop Is gathered, look
exactly like a field OF stunps III G clearing.
Not much romance or beauty about tina.
But there IS plenty OF money and this is tn
way that pays best, end poetry must yield t
utility.
How much VIII one aero yield Well, L
Napa valley they show You field that Yield
fourteen tons OF grapes to the acre. But TIL
is IN extraordinary yield. From eight to Tel
tons is the average crop. These grapes er
sold by the ton. They are sometimes sold a
they stand; sometimes they are sold on deliv
cry ~ some wino press. They bring from 81
to $50 per ton. according to tho yield, as
rule.
TIL. prettiest and clea.est employment
ever saw is that Of gathering grapes. But
Is hard on the back, and IN tho end Is not cas-
work. OF course. the ugly stunrs ere CT
tirely hidden by the vines long before harves
time. Indeed, IN, thousand vines ard ten
| drills and blossoms that branch out from IL
little black stump il the earliest days @
spring have loag before harvest time com
plstely covered every inch OF ground wit
| vines and leaves end tendrils that reach a
most to your waist. And tta stump Is on
solid mass Of luscious crapa- They are q,
there c2ingirg 10 the stump, rot scats2Te
| about over the ground on the long vines tn
are 70 ba shoTa away. But YOU begin 70 fes
! down in the dense mass Of leaves aud ten3Til
for your stump, and at every stump you In
Q little cartlocd Of grapes.
But. alas. Ect7;t istanding all can say c
do, fear my fellow laborer VIII cling to IL
dirty alleys OF the dismal cities hug BIS hatre'
| of those who have toiled end t:-cyed DANCE
and made life SUGGEST 10 prefers the pes;
| house for lis children to the green crap:
| fields ard the sweet ai- Of the room? west. =
JOAQUIN Miller II The Chicago Tir,es.
Prince BismarcL's 11esh.
s Berlin paper informs is readers tbs