The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-03-30

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vsosso 1reas - P1nneinr,
Iho commnn system Of planting
adopted IN California b that Of squares,
with the vines placed at seven feet apart
Some sections adopt o greater distance,
eight feet prevailing in many interior
districts-EoIne vineyards even exceed
ing this. running up to ten or even twelve
feet These greater distances have been
chosen for several reasons It greatly
facilitates the blowing and working Of
the vines, gives q less number to plant,
prune and care for, and where raisin and
table grapes are desired the size and
beauty Of the berry Is considerably inn
proved
European countries devoted to wine
making crowd the vines close together,
two and half to three feet from each
other In the rows. and the rows three to
four feet apart Close planting is par
ticulariy practiced in the renowned vine
yards, where it Is thought the small
quantity Of grapes thereby produced on
each plant adds to the quality Of the
wine.
Charles Krug, commissioner for the
Napa district, in treatise Incorporated
In the annual report Of the California
board OF viticulture commissioners,
calls attention to the advantage of plant
ing vines S4x14 feet over the square
system" heretofore employed. His ex-
perience since 1881 with the new method
has been 3ich that he enumerates some
Of its advantages as follows:
1. Fifty per cent. of the blowing now
done with one horse win be performed
with two animals and large pillow, thus
securing deeper and moro perfect tillage.
The larger tools accomplish the work
more rapidly, and three or four horse
tools may be easily and safely worked In
the rows, each one forming complete
avenue.
2. Tho gathering of the brush viii con-
sumo only one-third Of the time and labor
that is commonly employed in carrying
it to avenues some distance apart. Here
the prunings may be thrown into piles
at convenient distances along the II
feet rows and burned without danger
to the vines. and each pile will thus re-
turn to its respective vines fair portion
Of the fertilizers produced in its ashes.
Q. Sulphuring may be done moro
quickly and economically in the IA foot
rows, as q cart or wagon may DO used to
haul the barrel of sulphur to the labor
ers-this throughout the whole vineyard
and the driver may even assist In tho
work without leaving his vehicle.
4. Spraying the vines--a practice
which Is likely to come into vogue in our
vineyards some day, as IL has in Euro
pean vineyards-would be greatly facili.
lated, In that the whole appliance may
be hauled and worked by horse power.
At present the prevailing custom Is for
each operator to carry tho solution in O
reservoir strapped on his back.
5. The empty grape boxes can DO
easily and directly distributed to the
pickers, and the boxes, when full, may
be placed directly upon the wagon, to DO
hauled to tho cellar Much time and
labor are at present wasted in forcing the
pickers to carry the heavily loaded boxes
some distance to the avenues, perhaps
from tho middle Of the block.
9. When cultivating has ceased-usu-
ally in June-for two months, the teams,
which are otherwise likely to be idle,
may be probably used to improve the
land by hauling manure to the vines, fiji
ing up low places with dirt or sand, or
carrying off roots.
This method also recommends itself
for changing old vineyards from 7x7
feet to 8tx14 feet, or from 8x8 feet to
4xl6 feet, giving the proprietor a fine
opportunity to transform his vineyard
from Vinifera root vineyard to q re-
sistant root vineyard. This can be ac-
complished by planting resistant vines
in the alternate rows to be preserved
right between the two old vines. As
soon as these resistant roots produce
four-feet-long cones the adjoining old
Vinifera vines in the same rows, when
attacked by phylloxera or otherwise,
may be taken out and tho cones from
the resistant vines laid underground to
the place where the old Vinifera vines
stood; while layers, with the support Of
the nourishment from the mother roots,
will mako a rapid growth and be soon
strong enough to be grated. In the
meantime the second row should be
taken out as soon as the resistant vines
and layers are producing a crop. These
will continue to bear their usual amount
of grapes, and the income from the vine
yard Is only lessened slightly during the
transformation.