Year: 1861




been touched by the intelligent gardener,
his labors have been encouraged by most
abundant crop, proving that however poor
in appearances it may be, it has within it
the elements to support vegetable life.
Well selected spots all over our mountains
have been made fruitful by the gardener.
Apples, pears, peaches, ounces, the april
cot, nectarine, cherry and last but not least,
the grape, have been found to flourish and
more than remunerate all the labor and
money expended in their cultivation. These
are encouraging signs, and argue that the
time is not long hence when the hills as
we'll as the valleys of our golden State viii
be covered with orchards and vineyards
and the material wealth of the country be
not diminished as the gold veins are being
exhausted.


But there is dscoufaging side to the
picture. Those who have attempted to
plant gardens orchards and vineyards on
the mountain sides have met with checks





pen their ardor and in some cases to extin-
guish it altogether. We shall proceed to
notice some Of the causes that have con-
spired to retard the cultivation of fruits in
the elevated regions of the State.


Years ago when trees and vines were few
and prices consequently high, the incen
=. 81
brought into the mountains, after their
roots were chopped off close and saved to
graft bv the nurserymen, and sold at fab
uious prices. They were set out by men
familiar with the old mode of trimming, the
lower limbs necessary in this hot climate
to shield the body of the tree from the
scorching sun were cut away, aud the poor
unprotected stranger was left, without
roots or sheltering foliage, prey to the
borer or be burned at the stake Other
discouragemehts met the would-be cul-
tiyator of fruit. His orders for trees
were filled in the most execrable manner.
If he wanted pipins, he got tree with
pippin label which proved on bearing to
be something else and wholly worthless
The finest kinds of fruit brought the high
est prices, and advantages were taken by
nurserymen and oftener by the strolling
tree pedlars; to palm off the common kinds
for the most choice. So frequently have
men been swindled in this way that no con-
idence exists that what is purchased of
any body will prove as represented.
In the matter of grapes almost every
variety known to vine growers has been
sold in this vicinity, which on trial prove
to be all or nearly all, of one kind-the
Mission, or Los Angeles variety. These
experience has proved to be quite as ten
der as any, subject to be nipped by the
late frosts of the spring. The cheated
vine grower looks at his vines after frost,
and seeing all kinds, as he supposes, cut
down, is fain to declare grapes cannot be
grown at this elevation, and is ready to
abandon their culture. The Mission grape
if etlate does not find time during even
our long summers in the mountains to ma
| ture, and the cultivator, noticing no differ
ence in all the kinds he supposed he pur-
chased, in this respect, is confident that
the mountains cannot grow grapes sue
cessfully.


There is another fact too worthy of notice.
The demand for vines is SO great that the
great nurseries in the valleys are drained
annually of every grape vine of the foreign
varieties. In order to continue the drain
the idea is industrously circulated by cul-
turists and the journals in their interest,
that the sooner q vine is planted in the
spot where it is to grow, the better. Thus
vines that have just begun to root are torn
from the ground, their roots mangled and
clipped, and dispatched on a seven days
journey in the hot sun, it may be, to be
planted BY some infatuated individual in
the mountains. When they arrive the small
thread-like roots are found dried up, and
destroyed, and the vine requiring the incest
care to retain in it spark of vitality.


A gentleman who has worked in the vine
yards Of France nearly all his life, tells us
vine is never set there till it is two years
old, and often the transplanting is deferred
one and even two years longer. Good
long, fresh roots are essential. A vine one
year old might be taken from the soil and
transplanted Immediately with gucc S.
But it is reasonable to say that no small
rooted vine can be out of the ground six or
eight warm days without injury, unless
care, more than is usually bestowed by
teamsters, is given it.


The rush for vines is so great, however,
and doubtless will be for years to come,
that we are obliged to take such as we can
get or none But we believe it will be
found on trial that two year old vines will
do best, as general rule, particularly if not
re-planted Immediately.


There is another Encouragement many,
who have not the time or the knowledge of
the business to do the work themselves, are
frequently called to meet. They employ a
professed florist and gardener to prune their
trees and vines. In few hours the things
are indiscriminateiy butchered. Large limbs
are cut off and the wound unprotected by
either collodian, wax or paint, is left to