114 THE RAISIN INDUSTRY. 



it will be found that the many different expenses of a large vineyard 

 of say 1 60 acres will be quite considerable, and few of our larger raisin 

 vineyards in irrigated districts have cost less than fifty dollars per acre 

 during the first year. This includes labor, buildings, tools, etc. , but 

 not the first cost of land. With experience and constant supervision, 

 this cost may be reduced somewhat, and under very favorable circum- 

 stances from twenty to forty dollars even per acre may cover the cost 

 of planting and maintenance during the first season. But estimates in 

 this direction are not reliable, as one man will spend twice as much as 

 another under similar circumstances. 



PLOWING AND CULTIVATION. 



Winter Plowing. The plowing and cultivation of a vineyard com- 

 prise different operations, both in the spring, winter and summer. 

 Winter plowing should begin as soon as the vines are pruned, and 

 should be finished before the buds begin to swell in the spring. The 

 plowing should begin with a large plow and two horses, and the soil 



Vineyard Double Plow. 



should be thrown from the vines towards the center of the land be- 

 tween them. As such a large plow cannot go too near the vines with- 

 out breaking branches and injuring the buds, a smaller single-horse 

 plow is used to follow after the double team, and to finish up by 

 plowing a furrow nearest to the vines. The depth of this plowing 

 should, if possible, be from six to eight inches in the center of the 

 row, and from four to six inches nearest to the vines. 



^ Plowing Devices. To enable the single plow to run as closely to the 

 vines as possible without injury to the vines, several devices are used. 

 The block device consists of inserting a bk>ck of wood two inches wide 

 between the center of the clevis and the plow-beam. This throws the 

 singletree out to one side and enables the horse to walk at a distance 

 from the vine, while the plow follows as close to the latter as possible. 

 In combination with this block, the singletrees should be so constructed 

 as not to catch the branches of the vines. This is best accomplished 

 by attaching to the outside end of the singletree a flat, doubled leather 

 strap, to which is fixed a common, large snap, in which latter the 



