Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-26
THE VINE DISEASE.

1t is now near the end of May, and all
over California the vineyards are in full
leaf, the blossoms have fallen and the
grapes are we'll set. The vine-growers
are watching the vines with the great
est interest, owing to the prevalence of
the vine disease that has destroyed so
many of the vineyards in the last few
years. The outlook at this time is GER
tainly very encouraging. The vines
have come out with much vigor, and the
was in the best years in the history of
this section. The blossoms came in
abundance and of fine growth, and they
were succeeded by a splendid show OF
grapes. At date these young grapes are
developing as we'll as any ever seen.
This is not true merely in isolated
cases, but is remarked generally
all over this section. In the
San Fernando valley the vineyards
all look we'll. That of Messrs. Dillon &
Kenealy, of this city, is in as hourishing
a state as could be hoped for. Near the
city the vines ON the San Rafael ranch
all look well. All through the San
Gabriel valley, at Pasadena, Alhambra,
San Gabriel, Sunny Slope, Santa Anita
and through the Azusa to Pomona, San
Bernardino and Riverside, everywhere
the vineyards look remarkably healthy
The lower end of the Los Angeles valley
about Anaheim, Santa Ana and Orange
| has very few vineyards left that escaped
the ravages of the disease, which was
particularly virulent in that district.
Yet even there the few vineyards that
did survive show no signs of suffering
this year. At Norwalk there is fine
young vineyard planted three years ago
thatappears to be in excellent health. Just
east of Downey is another planted the
same year that looks quite as well. At
Anaheim some OF the vignerons Of the
past palmy days of the industry were
encouraged to set out few vines last
year as an experiment. These are look
| ing well. Others have set out small
patches this year and they are coming
out in a most excellent manner.
In all the old vineyards dead vines are
found, but these are plants badly affected
last year, either killed outright or made
so sick that their recovery became i'm
possible. The vines that had escaped
the ravages of the disease up to this
year are not showing the slightest sign
of sickness at this date. The growth is
prolific, the leaves are of perfect hue,
the blossoms come perfectly, and the
young grapes set we'll and are growing
apace.
To be sure this is too early to
show to perfect satisfaction that the dis
ease is thing of the past. The earlier
weeks of the spring and summer do not
develop the disease in it's worst
forms. 1t has usually taken the hot
weather of July and still more that
of August to develop the worst results OF
the disease. Then the current season is
an exceptionally favorable one. The
winter was wet one, and all the ground
is full OF moisture; the weather up to
this time has been marked by an un-
usual absence of hot days; there is much
dampness in the atmosphere. These
are all influences that tend to check any
manifestation of the disease in the vines
1t will take two or three months to sci
perfectly at rest this question SO interest
ing to the vine-growers. But this ele-
ment of doubt does not set aside the
fact that the vines are all doing better
by many hundred per cent. than they
have done for years nor at all remove the
grounds for hope that the disease is past
Simply it prevents the mind from reach
ing a certain conclusion that such is the
case. The most experienced men in the
business firmly believe that next fall
will put the whole thing beyond any
shadow of doubt.
In the matter OF planting new vines,
this consideration ought not to be lost
sight of-that the cuttings are being
taken from the old, diseased vines, with
the great probability that the germs OF
the disease still inhere in them. This is
thought worthy of the closest attention
of the planters.
If the disease has passed away Of
itself, it will bear out a theory always
maintained by this paper. 1t has been
held that it was improbable
that any disease could develop
after many thousand years of viticul.
ture that would wipe the industry of
the face of the earth. 1t would be con-
trary to all experience in animal or
vegetable life. Local causes have
developed local diseases, and those in
the vine have often been serious. One
wiped out nearly all the German vine
yards a few years ago. Those
of Madeira were destroyed at an