16 How TO MAKE GRAPE CULTURE PROFITABLE IN CALIFORNIA 



depend on the different soil and climatic conditions of different 

 localities. It may be said that excessive moisture during spring 

 should be avoided. After the late rains in the spring the ground 

 should be allowed to dry off well first before it is gone over with 

 the cultivator or harrow, and then of course it should be worked 

 thoroughly. Excessive soil moisture produces shallow and tender 

 roots and soft top-growth, scantiness of moisture makes deep, 

 hardy roots and tough top-growth. How well the moisture con- 

 tents of a soil in California can be regulated by more or less culti- 

 vation is not as well understood as it should be. Even the Riparia 

 can be hardened and made deep-rooting by such treatment. 



By the time the vines are seven years old, they will be well 

 acquainted with all the vicissitudes of California soil conditions. 

 After that the moisture allowance should be increased gradually 

 from year to year, as their larger growth demands it. )t is about 

 as harmful to the health of the vines to hold excessive moisture ir. 

 a vineyard that previously has been neglected for one or more 

 years, as it is to neglect a vineyard that has had good care before. 

 The more uniform the moisture supply is one year after anothet, 

 the better it will be for the welfare of the vines. Very much mis-- 

 calculated is also the practice of some who raise nursery stock in a 

 wet place with stagnant water near the surface. Such vines, espe- 

 cially if they are intended to go on dry ground, are worthless. 



5. Method. Summer Pruning. 



In order to prevent unnecessary woodgrowth and in 

 consequence exhaustion of soil moisture, it is well to 

 deprive the vine when it has attained an age of 6 or 7 

 years, of some of its foliage and stop its extending itself to its full- 

 est capacity. In doing this I top those canes, that come down to 

 the ground and trail along for some distance or which catch the 

 neighboring vines, by cutting them off where they- touch the 

 ground. This should be done before the canes become woody, 

 about two weeks before the vine gets its full growth, generally 

 with me about the first or second week in July. The vines will quit 

 growing then, but if done too early it will have no effect, as they 

 will throw out a lot of laterals and keep on growing. I know it 

 is generally advised against such work, but I believe it is much bet- 

 ter to check the vigor of a vine growing under California climatic 

 and soil conditions somewhat than to have it collapse later on ac- 

 count of too much ambition. If not too many canes are topped or 

 the work is done too late, I fail to see that it postpones the matur- 

 ing of the fruit any. Where simple pinching of the terminal buds 

 has the desired effect; as may be done with the smaller growers, 

 then this is certainly preferable. 



In order to do this work effectively the winter-pruning should 

 be close and short. All suckers as well as some of the smaller 

 fruit-canes should be removed while they are small and can easily 

 be rubbed off. It is best to go over a vineyard several times during 

 the summer to do this and never should a large lot of strong suck- 



