The San Francisco call., 1896-05-05
It Is Believed to Have Been
Caused by Last Summers
Hot Spells.
NO REMEDY so FAR FOUND.
Only Riparias Are Affected and Re
sistant Stock Has Received a
Severe Setback.

LII Ndpd dlIeN diS U6SlU-
ming to wonder whether they have not
made mistaFe in planting the riparia to
protect them from phylloxera. Not that
the riparia is not resistant, but it has sud-
denly succumbeG to peculiar disease and
condition, and as result one-half the ri
parias from Oakville to Calistoga are dead
or dying.
Last August it was found that some of
the riparias suddenly sickened and died,
but it was by no means general affection ;
but this spring, when the VINE men got
ready to graft upon their resistants, they
found the riparias had died by the thou
sands. 1t was at first thought to be the
dreaded Anaheim disease, which played
such havoc in the southern vineyards, but
opinions were by no means certain on this
point. In every case where the vine was
affected, an investigation showed that its
rooUs were diseased, and in some cases en-
tirely dried up.
What caused most apprehension, how
ever, was the fact that often, in a patch
in which there were both resistant and
non-resistant stock, only the riparias
were affected; they died by the wholesale
alongside non-resistant vines, which were
hourishing beautifully. This of course
disproved another theorY-that the ri
parlas had lost their resisting character
istics, but the solution was as vexing and
as far off as ever, nor has it yet been ex-
planned with perfect satisfaction to all.
The riparia is a native vine, growing
growing wild in this State and along the
Mississippi. The riparia from the Missis-
sippi is the more satisfactory of the two,
and for that reason was planted much
more extensively than the California vine.
1t is more hardy and makes vine more
suitable for receiving a graft.
TIE method employed is to plant the
resistant cuttings or rootlings, and after
two, three or four years to graft upon
them the variety desired. The vine is
then secure from the ravages of phyI-
loxera. Why this is so is not definitely
known, but it is so. When the phylloxera
appeared in Napa Valley, therefore, re-
slstant stock was eagerly sought, and
among others the Lenoir and the Riparia
were planted. The Riparia was the favor
lite because of its rapid growth, and thou
sands OF acres were planted to it. The
vineyards so planted and grated were
proof against phylloxera, but this new
agent of destruction which has appeared
against the Riparia and its gratis only has
caused no end of anxiety.
John Wheeler. executive officer for the
Viticultural Commission for the Napa dis
trict and managing the California Wine
makers Corporation, says he has had
more experience with this new visitation
than probably any one else.
~ think it is due to the hot spells we
had last summer" he said, while speak
ing on the subject. 1.-THE Riparia is vine
whose roots lie along the surface. Every
one who has plant them knows the
way they run to surface roots. Now when
we have hot weather it dries the soil. par-
ticularly such soil as we have in Mana
Valley-the gravelly loam-to quite a
depth. This deprives the Riparia of mois-
ture, and it must have moisture. AS a
consequence it dies out, where other vines.
more deeply rooted, will live without
trouble.
"The Lenoir is such vine. The Lenoir
strikes its roots straight down. 1t has few
if any surface roots, and il takes moisture
from far below the upper layer which is
dried by the sun. This is the only expla-
nation l can give for the disc ase and
the only one 1 have heard which seems
even to explain it. 1 have started 20O, 600
Lenoirs this year and l think they will do
well.
1.-THE Rlparias began to die about last
August and there was quite stir over it.
but the full magnitude of the ravages of
the disease was not appreciated until the
vineyard men began to graft this spring.
Then they found thousands which were
dead. l estimate that between Oakville
and Calistoga over half the Ripasias are
dead. The loss in money 1 cannot at
tempt TO estimate.
I'VE have mistaken our conditions, I
think. That is ali. The soil OF Napa
Valley dries too easily for the Riparia, and
so we must plant Lenoir. l have not
heard of the Riparias being injured in
clay soils, so think our gravelly loan is
to blame. Ny advice would be to plant
Lenoir unless where the subsoll or bed
rock is close to the surface"
Professor George Hussmann discusses at
some length in the st. Helena the nature
of the peculiar ailment. Professor Huss-
mann held in Missouri college the same
relative position that Professor Hilgard
holds at the University of California. He
was much interested. financially and other
wise, in introducing the Riparia to this
State. In his communication he says:
That we have a disease, especially in the
upper part of the valley, attacking Riparia
vines, there can no longer be any doubt. As
all Riparia vines here, in the lower part of the
valley and in the Oldest vineyards in Sonoma
County, have been perfectly healthy until
now, have been 10th 10 believe it, but an in
vestigation and talk with Messrs. Beringer
Brothers, whose vineyard has been model
of health and beauty until last August, as
convinced me to the contrary. So far
L had ascribed the failure to other
causes, uncongenial soil, poor cultivation,
etc. But here we have a vineyard on as
good soil as can be- found in the valley,
well cultivated and taken care of all summer,
with splendid growth and promise, suddenly
stricken in August, until about 1000 vines are
already dead and number more dying. These
are facts and we cannot ignore them. Yet the
vineyard of Mrs. Chabot, planted with Ripa-
rias, grated when four years old, has shown
splendid results the past two years and il per-
fectly healthy yet. That it is not ply lloxera
Mr.. Beringer is firmly convinced, although the