Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-12
VITICULTURAL.
Experiments Made by the
State University.
SOME NEW VARIET L Il 5
Soil. Pruning, Cultivation and
The Wine Product OF
Several Varieties.

Professor Z. w. Hilgard, head ef the
Agricultural Department OF the Univer-
sitv of California, has issued the follow.
inc bulletin, which is of unusual interest
to viticulturists:
The experimental vineyard plot at Gu.
pertino, placed at the disposal of the
University by John I. Doyle, two years
ago, has this year borne its first avail
able crop, and samples of most of the
grape varieties have been shipped to the
University Viticultural Laboratory for
experimental vinification, to the number
of thirty.six. Of some of these, samples
have been gathered and fermented at two
different times, to determine the pecu-
liarities at the several degrees of matu.
rity, and the rate of increase of sugar.
As is we'll known, the sugar percentages
have generally been low this season, so
that good opportunity was afforded for
observing those varieties which will
yield saccharine strength even under
adverse circumstances.
The detailed record and discussion OF
these results will be found in the report
of viticultural work for 1886, now in
pres, at the State Printing Office. But
it will be of general interest to give in
advance, at this time, when the choice
of vines to be newly planted or grated
is being made by grape-growers, the
record OF the actual product of the sew
eral varieties, which has been kept by
John T. Doyle, the manager of the Cuper.
tano vineyard, for all the more impor-
tant varieties, his leisure not allowing
the extension of the observation over the
whole of the collection.
CHARACTER OF THE SOIL.
The University tract being practically
level, and its soil of remarkable uniform.
ity, it will show characteristcally the
difference between the grapes and wines
of the several varieties, being in this
respect parallel to the case of H. w.
Crabb. q comparison of whose varied
wines is given IN the report of the work
of 1885, page 70. Moreover, the soil
being q very much generalized one for
the west side of the Santa Clara Valley,
the points elected will be applicable to
a very large region, from the neighbor-
hood of Mountain View to that of New
Almaden.
The land on which this tract is situa.
ted forms part of the gently undulating
valley slope that lies between the Santa
Clara valley proper and the Coast Range,
aud into the higher part of which the
Cupertno creek and its branches have
cut narrow and deep, abrupt valleys.
The experimental plot assigned to the
University lies Immediately adjacent to
the valley of the main Cupertino on the
west and about fifty feet above it. The
soil is q drab tinted clay loan, largely
intermixed with gravel and rock frag.
ments, showing the whole to consist of
the wash from the adjacent and other
ranges lying towards New Almaden. In
the bluff banks that fall off steeply into
the creek bottom it can readily be seen
that the same material, only with larger
proportions of gravel, and yellow instead
of drab.colored loan, extends down
nearly to the creek level. 1t is perfectly
penetrable by both water and roots, the
latter being seen in it at levels from
twelve to even twenty feet below the
trees and vines to which they belong
The land is, therefore, perfectly under.
drained and thus fultills one essential
condition of first-class wine.grape land.
1t is, of course easily workable after
rains.
In order to obtain a full insight into
the nature of the soil and subsoil, q
trench six feet deep was dug in what
might be considered representative
spot of the tract, and the soil material
was sampled for each IL inches from the
surface, SO as to obtain fair specimens.
Three of these, viz: to IL inches, II
to "a inches, and to 6 feet-were fully
analysed chemically, as reported below;
and these analyses are suttic ,nt to show
both the general character and the rate
and character of change downward, the
samples representing the other intervals
received only physical examination.
From about 80 to 36 inches below the
surface there is noticeable change OF tint
toward the yellow, and an Obvious in
crease of hegravelly ingredients, which
is apparent in the wide difference in the
percentage of "fine earth, ia the table
below, between the immediate subsoil
IL to "a inches in depth, and the sample
taken from the interval "a to 4S inches
the latter containing less than one-fourth
as much of soil matter proper than the
former. But it is also seen that from SO
down to 72 inches the soil percentage
remains about the same, and Judging
from the aspect of the bank where the
level land breaks off into the valley, the
same might be true to the depth of 10 or
IL feet, if not more.
ANALYSIS OF so1ls AND sUBsoILs FROM UNI.