Floriha and C.Ai.ii-ORNiA Lahokatories 235 



manv ways." he commented. " I have often wondered liow you 

 could work under the conditions of tlie past to any degree of 

 satisfaction to yourself." 



In 1892 there was published an article on the " Mysterious vine 

 disease," ° which advanced Pierce's solution of using cuttings from 

 healthy vines and from regions where the disease did not exist. 

 This article gave wide currency in California to the practical results 

 of his investigations, and evidently was appreciated, since his 

 recommendation to start from perfectly healthy cuttings had given 

 the vineyardists their first real basis for hope of saving their 

 industry. At Wtishington, on June 15, 1891, Pierce had submitted 

 his preliminary report on the California vine disease, and in it 

 included a chapter on treatment. In this he had discussed matters 

 of cultivation, pruning, cutting back, seedlings, and the very 

 important topics of the hardiness of varieties and grafting resistant 

 stock. Yet, publication of the report w^as delayed, and, the vine- 

 yardists prodding, he, on October 26, 1892, addressed a letter to 

 Galloway to learn if possible when the report would be ready for 

 distribution. Said Pierce: 



The people among whom I am working very naturally are surprised at 

 the delay in a report of the first moment to all this part of California. It 

 is a piece of work which will certainly give us strength with the vine and 

 fruit growers of this State, but this long delay in publishing is destroying, 

 beforehand, the interest which naturally attaches to the work, and will 

 detract materially from the credit which the Department should reap from 

 having conducted the work. 



No one knows half as well as myself the intrinsic value to the vine- 

 yardists of this State of that report. TTie facts brought out in relation to the 

 transmission of the disease by means of cuttings alone are of sufficient 

 value to warrant as early publication of the report as possible. . . . The 

 season for making cuttings for the coming winter's setting is now almost at 

 hand, and I should expect that a loss of many thousands of dollars more 

 would result from the delay in the publication of that report if it is not 

 distributed here in proper season for its facts to be taken advantage of 

 for the coming season's work. There are also hundreds of facts there 

 which would help to guide in the selection of location for vines and the 

 care of the same which are of thousands of dollars value to the young vine 

 growers now about to start vineyards. 



In his report he had stated: '° " The facts point to the present 



"Rural Californian 15: 129, May 1892; see also California Fruit Grower 10: 154, 



March 5, 1892. , . . ,. a ,• ■ . c ■ .■ 



^"Bulletin No 2 The Cahfornia vine disease. A prehminary report ot investiga- 

 tions, chap XI, p. 206, Washington, Gov't Print. Office, 1892. 



