The San Francisco call., 1897-10-10

Petit Pinot Sesdless Sultana, Carigan,
Chauche Noir, Golden Chasselas, Mataro,
| Colon bar, Berger, Folle Blanche, Meun-
nier, Charb bonne. Blau Ebbling, Orleans
Riesling, Folle Noir, Chollosse, Malvoisie.
| Lenoir, Franc Pinot, Plant yer Dore,
! Crosse Blauer, Petit Surah, Muscatel,
Gutedel, Black ChasseIas, Muscat OF Alex
andria, Black Hamburg, Rose OF Peru,
! Flame Tokay, Malaga and Emperor. The
| choicest grapes, to be found In Europe,
! Asia and even Africa are found growing
| profusely in these vineyards, possessing
| an exquisite, delicate flavor, pleasant to
| the epieure who may visit these favored
| lands at vintage time. Most OF the vlne-
| ardists in the district sell their crops IN
! bulk to the wineries, who In turn
! dispose of the wines to the whole
sale dealers in San Francisco. few.
! however, manufacture their own wines.
| Among the latter may be mentioned the
Fountain Grove Vineyard Company,
! whose vineyards are situated some three
miles from the Courthouse at Santa Rosa,
| The wines from this esta blishment have
world wide reputation. The grapes from
| which they are made are grown both on
| the level and mountainsides IL soil con-
| tanning all the essentials for the various
| varieties.
After viewing the busy little Japs or the
swarthy suns of sunny Italy who, to the
manner born, revel in the mysteries of the
wine press or ply the pump which SENDS
| the red fluid into the vats, working as
J though they keenIy enjoyed the occupa.
ton, the visitor turns in wonderment
away and says, "How simple it seems"
One winery, however, is pretty well like
another, and it will be pleasant change
to choose, for an afternoons outing, a trip
10 spot which has been made pilgrim
age point by many of the most noted
hortlculturists the world over. If for no
other reason, Santa Rosa is universally
known as the residence OF one of the most
remarkable men of the day. Luther Bur-
bank is his name and he well deserves
his coenomen of "Wizard OF Fruit and
Flowers" The Burbank potato, which
he produced a score of years ago from
seed, stands to-day at the head of its class
He succeeded in producing-one might
almost say in creating-absolute novelties
in the way of fruits. flowers and vegeta-
bles, and the future possibilities of his
work are apparently limitless. By blend
ing the seeds OF various fruits and flowers
he has evolved specimens unlike any thing
known to nature, which have won for him
the highest honors from scientific soce-
| ties in this country and in Europe. His
experimental stations al Santa Rosa and
at Sebastopol are yearly visited by dis
! tinguished botanical experts, and CORE
| spondence reaches him from the four
quarters of the globe. No one who is un-
acquainted with his unique work can
! form any conception OF the labor and
! study which his discoveries have involved.
| Millions OF plants and trees have been
! crossed, poilenized and by bridized out of
all Resemblance to their natural form,
color and favor. To discover in peach,
shaped like pear, the flavor of a water
melon, or maybe OF q raspberry, is suf-
tiCienL to startle the nervous system
even ola total abstainer, and when in ad-
dition to this one sees potatoes thriving
on a tomato vine certain feeling of
dread for the wizard by your side is in
evitable.
Burbank, however, is not engaged in
the creation of specimens for dime
museum or for the sideshow of q travelling
circus. His ex xperiments are of the most
earnest nature, and the object of his life
work is to increase the varieties of domes-
tic fruit stuffs and to add to the charms
| of the conservatories and gardens of the
world. He is following in a soien tiic way
the scientific theories of the master, OAR
win, to whom, for his production OF fruits
with foreign f1avors and strangely tinted
and petaled flowers, he is always ready
to give full credit.
| A tour through the general fruit and
vegetable grounds surrounding the city is
another pleasant voyage of discovery. 1t
seems almost incredible that within so
small a radius so large variety OF good
things can be found, thriving in all the
| exuberance of the best of their several
kinds. Take, for instance, the Bartlett
pear, so much sought for in the Eastern
markets. Here it grows in its highest
| perfection, many OF the horticulturists
making it a speciality. 1t is fast becoming
standard industry and its demand is
growing year by year.
In the warm belt which encircIes the
valley the orange, lemon and lime thrive
J without irrigation. In the open valley
! there is danger of occasional in jury by
frost, but on good loan soils anywhere
| from 100 to 400 feet above the valley the
citrus fruits thrive and bear as freely as in
] any section of the State. All varieties of
the palm - the dracana, fanleaf and
date-grow everywhere in the district
with no more than the ordinary care
given to common trees. Every where
! too, one finds the fig, except on the lower
lands. Two crops of this delicious fruit
ale produced annually, and sIl varieties
thrive. Such hOmely but useful table
delica cies as currants, goose berries, black
| berries raspberrieS straw berries Oofa.
toes, carrots, beets, corn, watermelons,
squash. turnips, parsnips and the like
grow every where with great luxuriance
III prodigious quantities, and all without
irrigation. 1t is a regular nursery for
shade trees in this district. the pepper
eucalyptus and many other trees which
will not Withstand Eastern winters
hourishing everywhere and growing to
great size.
A visit to Santa Rosa would be incom.
plete without viewing the olive orchards
of Captain Guy E. Crosse of Rincon
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