THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 113 



and dry soil, and they will afterwards decay and injure the vine. A 

 carefully planted vineyard, where rooted vines alone have been used, 

 and where every precaution has been taken to insure success, should 

 have about ninety-seven per cent of the vines growing. To make 

 every one grow would only be possible in a very small plantation. In 

 the large raisin centers, all this planting may be contracted for. The 

 cost of planting cuttings is generally calculated at one-half cent per 

 cutting, and for rooted vines at one cent per vine. Frequently 

 parties contract to supply cuttings and to plant the land for from 

 eighteen to twenty dollars per acre or less. It is generally better to 

 pay the higher price and get the work done properly. 



Proper Time for Planting. The time for planting cuttings depends 

 greatly upon the season, the quality of the soil and the moisture. In 

 wet seasons the dry land should be planted first, and cuttings might be 

 started there as soon as the first frost allows us to make them with advan- 

 tage. The moister the soil the later should the planting be begun, 

 and on the contrary the drier the soil and the warmer, the sooner 

 should the cuttings as well as the rooted vines be planted in the fall. 

 December and January are the best months to plant, although with 

 care cuttings as well as rooted vines may be set as late as in April or 

 even in May. As a rule, early planting is better, as it gives the cut- 

 tings chance to root well before the hot weather causes the shoots to 

 start. In very rainy seasons, or in wet places, cuttings should be 

 planted later than rooted vines. Moisture in undue degree will cause 

 cuttings to rot, while its influence on the roots of the vines is not as 

 great. Rooted vines stand both moisture and drought better than 

 cuttings do. On sandy, dry soil and in dry seasons I would wish my 

 cuttings planted as early in December as possible; while, on wet places, 

 I would delay planting until after the frost is over in February. The 

 same rule applies to rooted vines, but we must remember that roots 

 begin to send out rootlets almost as soon as they are dug, and that 

 early planting will preserve these for the early use of the vine, while, 

 in late planting, almost every one of these new roots will be destroyed 

 in planting and must be produced over again. We might also say- 

 that both cuttings and rooted vines^ should be set as soon as the soil 

 is in proper condition in the fall. Do not wait for anything after the 

 soil is dry enough to permit planting. Early planted vines will have 

 a good start. 



Cost of Cuttings and Rooted Vines. The price of Muscat or raisin- 

 grape cuttings generally varies from two dollars and fifty cents to five 

 dollars per thousand, and have been sold as low as one dollar per 

 thousand cuttings. Rooted vines again vary from ten to twenty dol- 

 lars per thousand, according to the demand and supply. The cost of 

 planting is, of course, different in different localities. In Fresno the 

 ruling prices for vineyard planting with cuttings is one-half cent per 

 cutting. The men board and lodge themselves for this sum. For 

 rooted vines the price is from sixty cents to one dollar per hundred 

 vines. The ground must be in a perfect condition, but the success of 

 the work is never guaranteed, as so much depends upon after treat- 

 ment. While the actual cost of planting the grapes is insignificant, 



