PROPER PREPARATION OF SOIL BEFORE PLANTING 15 



p 



But if the root given them is not as strong as their own, they may 

 succumb more quickly or at least will not prove so profitable. It 

 is rather difficult to tell at the present time, what Vinifera variety 

 is the most resistant to the disease, as this would depend on the 

 length of time a variety has been cultivated in California, whether 

 the first imported cuttings were propagated on their own roots or 

 grafted on some old Vinifera vines, on what soil and in what local- 

 ity the first vines, which furnished most of the cuttings for later 

 plantings, were grown, etc. 



3. Method. Proper Preparation of the Soil Before Planting. 



Before vines are planted the ground should be turned 

 over deeply, no matter how rich the soil. To run a 

 subsoiler in the furrow is an improvement to the old 

 method of simply plowing the ground; but even this 

 can be greatly improved by following the first plow 

 up with another plow in the same furrow instead of the subsoiler 

 and throwing the bottom soil up on top. The humus of which 

 there is a considerable amount left in most surface soils, should 

 be turned down as deeply as possible, in order to prevent com- 

 bustion of its organic matter, so disastrous in its effects during our 

 long dry summers, and the purely mineral ingredients of the sub- 

 soil turned up to the surface for exposure to the air, light and rains, 

 to dissolve their plant foods. While doing this work, if the top- 

 soil is devoid of humus, do not forget to put abundant organic mat- 

 ter in the form of green or stable manure, straw, etc., in the bottom 

 of the furrow and remember that this is the only chance you have 

 to cause any material good with such things in a vineyard grow- 

 ing under California conditions. Young vines planted on such 

 ground will extend their roots deeply, as they find nitrogen of 

 which they are in great need and the best of other ready plant 

 foods at a depth that will not easily get dry. If these foods are 

 near the surface, the vines will either have to do without them or 

 else their main roots will be very shallow and more exposed to 

 moisture changes. Such described work puts the physical condi- 

 tion of a soil at its best, which is according to the experience of the 

 best cultivators of the soil the most important. 



The value of humus consists further not only in the fact that 

 it is the sole source of nitrogen in the soil, but also in the generation 

 of carbonic acid, so important in creating new and different com- 

 binations with mineral bases for plant foods directly and indirectly, 

 which would otherwise remain unavailable on account of their in- 

 solubility. This work as described has really but little to do with 

 the point in question, but I inserted it to make the following better 

 understood. 



4. Method. Proper Cultivation. 



With the exception of the first year, during which 

 they should receive good care in order to keep them 

 alive, young vines should have only the minimum mois- 

 ture allowance, absolutely necessary to keep them thrifty. 

 How much this is cannot be given in a certain rule, as it would 



