THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 459 



there now on the table. In the importations of Spain you will find 

 certain grapes much better in grading, of large appearance and slightly 

 different shape, but that may all be due to difference in environment. 



Mr. Risser. We have a number of different kinds of the Almeria 

 grape in the experimental vineyards, but I am not up on the same enough 

 to give authentic information, but Mr. Schmidt, who is an authority on 

 this subject, might tell us. 



Mr. Schmidt. We have several types of the Almeria grape — the 

 Ojanez is generally considered the best variety. The Almeria and the 

 Malaga are splendid types, but the Ojanez, so far, I believe, is considered 

 the best variety of grapes here on the coast. I believe they would keep 

 until April if put up in sawdust. It hasn't been tried as yet, but we are 

 making experiments constantly, and we have some types here now that 

 we are experimenting with. 



Mr. Swett. Are they beginning to bear at all? 



Mr. Schmidt. They are, of course, quite young as yet, but they 

 yielded a fairly good crop this year, considering the variety. We didn 't 

 think they would bear at all, but upon examination of the buds they 

 showed that the fruit wa.s spread a good deal from out on the branches, 

 but pruning brought out quite a little, right around the crown of the 

 vines. Well, we are going to put them up on this trellis system, seven 

 feet high, as soon as we can get the vines large enough to put them on, 

 and so we are going to try that way of pruning them — try that out. 

 They did fairly well out here at Fresno's experiment staticm this year. 

 They showed a little black spot which formed on the tissues. This is 

 rather serious, and we do not know what it is. We have sent some fruit 

 to Washington for examination, but as yet, as far as I know, no results 

 have been obtained. 



Mr. Swett. We have a few vines growing at Martinez where the 

 trellis system is used, but they are so late that they do not ripen here 

 before the winter sets in. 



Chairman Cook. It is a great satisfaction I know to all of us that we 

 have one as able as Mr. Adams to discuss this matter of alkali and drain- 

 age reclamation. Mr. Adams is of the Department of Agriculture, and 

 he has given this matter a great deal of attention and is thoroughly con- 

 versant with this work. This address is being given by him at special 

 request, and it seems there was some little difficulty — lack of time, I 

 ■believe — but I wrote that he nuist come, so he is with us to-day. INIr. 

 Adams, I am very glad that we have the pleasure of having you with us 

 this morning. 



