198 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



were found at the same depth. When this happens in the case of 

 such deep feeding plants as the vine, it is simply ruinous, and if it 

 does not result in the death of the vine, must greatly reduce both the 

 quantity and quality of its product. This is a growing evil which 

 even now sorely afflicts some vinej^ards, whose owners have never 

 ceased to imagine that the one thing needful for success in that region 

 is plenty of water, and that there cannot be too much of a good thing. 

 No. 799.— Valley soil, taken on a creek heading near Nun's Caiion, 

 on Oakville and Glen Ellen road, Napa County. The valley is a 

 narrow one, of a briskly flowing stream on the Napa side of the divide. 

 It is not under cultivation near the point where the sample was 

 taken, but the spot is remarkable for the luxuriant growth of wild 

 grapevines, which cover not only the bottom, but run up high on the 

 hillsides. The opportunity seemed a good one for ascertaining just 

 what kind of soil the California wild vine delights in, thus giving a 

 clue to the proper selection of soils on which it is to form the stocks. 

 There is apparently little change in the soil for twelve or eighteen 

 inches; it is of a gray tint, stiffish, and bakes very hard when dry, 

 unfilled; a light adobe or clay loam. For want of tools for digging, 

 the soil was taken to the depth of eight inches only. It contains no 

 coarse material save a fragment of slate here and there. Its analysis 

 resulted as follows : 



Valley Soil, Sonoma Mountains. 



Insoluble matter 63.55 ] „„ „„ 



Soluble silica 5.54 J "^'"^ 



Potasb 1.6(> 



Soda .22 



Lime .60 



Magnesia 1.91 



Br. oxide of manganese . .11 



Peroxide of iron 4.61 



Alumina 13.71 



Pbosphoric acid .17 



Sulphuric acid .07 



Water and organic matter 7.68- 



Total 99.55 



Humus 2.16 



Available inorganic .49 



Hvgroscophic moisture 7.78 



Absorbed at 15° C. 



The analysis shows good cause for the preference of the vine for 

 this soil, which is an unusually rich one in all the elements of plant 

 food. Its potash percentage is the highest thus far observed in Cali- 

 fornia outside of alkali lands. Its supply of lime is not unusually 

 large, but still abundant; its phosphoric acid percentage is among 

 the highest thus far found in the State, as is, outside of marsh soils, 

 that of humus. In fact, any plant whatsoever might be well pleased 

 with such a soil; and the facts show that the native vine can be a 

 rank feeder when opportunity is offered. These vines seemed to be 

 young and had little fruit set; but whether the latter point was an 

 accident of the season, or whether the soil is too rich for full bearing, 

 requires farther observation to determine. If the latter be true, the 

 remedy in such cases would lie in the use of lime around the vines. 



Examination of soil from San Diego Peninsula, San Diego County. — 

 This soil, samples of which were furnished by Mr. Charles AVetmore, 

 represents the wider and more northerly portion of the low, sandy 



