PART FOUR: THE GRAPE 



CHAPTER XXV 



THE GRAPE INDUSTRY OF CALIFORNIA 



The grape grows in all parts of California below sea level in 

 irrigated interior valleys and from near sea level on the coast to an 

 elevation of 5000 feet or more on the mountains. It is contented, 

 too, with nearly all fertile soils, from the deep valley loams, where 

 the' great fat, firm-fleshed grapes are grown for raisin and table 

 grape shipments, to the shallow soils of the high foothills and moun- 

 tain slopes, where the grapes are less in quantity, but of superior 

 aromatic qualities. This wide adaptation gives an immense area 

 suited for grape culture, but the chief reason for the achievement 

 and the promise of the grape in California is in the fact that the 

 European species, Vitis vinifera, thrives, and thus the California 

 grower has command of all that Europeans have accomplished in 

 centuries by developing special varieties of the species for special 

 purposes. The grapes of the States east of the Rocky Mountains 

 are only grown in California in a small way because the European 

 varieties are the only ones from which raisins can be made; they 

 also furnish the word's wine and brandy, and they give size, beauty, 

 and shipping quality beyond all comparison with American varieties. 

 Wherever wealthy Eastern connoisseurs choose grapes for their 

 glass houses, they select European varieties ; the Californian grows 

 his "hot-house grapes" in the open air. He also grows most of 

 them without the cost of trellising, because the European varieties 

 generally will bear well in short-pruned, bush form although the 

 trellised area is increasing because of the wide planting of Thomp- 

 son, Emperor, etc., which require long-pruning. 



California has a large acreage of grape vines, and planting has 

 been very active during the last few years because of good prices for 

 raisins and for fresh and dried wine grapes for home wine-making 

 and for grape juice. At the same time, new economic and commer- 

 cial problems are continually arising, and as the industry has to 

 readjust itself to new conditions, discussion of such problems does 

 not come within the scope of a cultural treatise like this. It is the 

 duty of the grower to keep himself up to date on such subjects by 

 faithful reading of California periodicals and by participation in 

 public assemblies in the grape interest. Concerning cultural diffi- 

 culties, the protection of the vine from its enemies and other prob- 

 lems, special researches are constantly pursued by the University 

 Experiment Station at Berkeley and publications are furnished on 

 application. 



The culture of the grape is one of the great branches of Cali- 

 fornia horticulture. Its three chief divisions are: Grapes for the 



