32 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 



once in ten thousand times. Any one who has been in the forests where 

 these vines grow, will find in some cases two or more distinct species 

 climbing on the same tree. Now these species hybridize naturally, and 

 the seedlings that grow around are mere nondescripts, neither Riparias 

 nor Rupestris. As the cuttings are gathered when the leaves have 

 fallen, even the chance of getting the correct species is problematical. 



It is very simple to get a few tried varieties and plant them near a 

 stream or in a garden where they can be forced to go to wood, and in a 

 very short time plant out a large vineyard with something that is defi- 

 nitely known. This is what the foreign vine-growers do, and they have 

 eliminated a great many uncertainties from the problem. In California 

 there is, under the present regime, nothing certain to serve as a guide. 

 The soils must be studied and their general characteristics determined, 

 as the Europeans have done. This is quite simple, but vine-growers 

 plant, they know not what, and if that fails, do not try something 

 that has certain well-defined characteristics, but go on blindly planting 

 vines of whose characteristics they are in perfect ignorance. 



It is the object of the University to establish the fact that the vine- 

 grower can reduce the chances of failure and loss of money to a minimum 

 as soon as he will plant only good varieties. To make a beginning, it 

 has attempted at first not to confuse the minds of those who would 

 study the problem by the introduction of a number of varieties. They 

 will come later. At the present time the Station has introduced, reim- 

 portedj three of the best known and most generally planted varieties of 

 Riparia, feeling confident that once the vine-grower has seen the selected 

 Riparia planted by the side of the nondescript from Nebraska, he will 

 abandon the present system of trusting to kind Providence to do every- 

 thing for him, and will help himself. There are to-day, in this State, 

 examples of the selected Riparias growing alongside of the nondescripts, 

 under exactly similar conditions, and those who doubt should go to see 

 them. The most striking example is to be found on the place of John 

 Swett & Son, near Martinez, in Contra Costa County. 



The varieties of Riparia that the University have imported are 

 Riparia Gloire de Montpellier, Riparia Grande Glabre, and Riparia 

 Martin. These were chosen for their great resistance to the phylloxera, 

 and especially for their characteristic of being easily suited in a very 

 great variety of soils. Below is given a table in which the comparative 

 value of these will in part be shown. In the scale adopted, 20 is taken 

 as the highest possible number df points in the determination of its value: 



Resistance. Vigor. 



Riparia Scribner ._ _. 18 20 



Riparia Gloire de Montpellier _. 18 20 



Riparia Grande Glabre 18 20 



Riparia Martin _. _ 18 20 



Riparia Scupernong _ ^ _ 18 17 



Riparia Baron Perrier . 18 16 



Giant Toinentose _ _. 18 19 



This table was made out from a comparison of the various varieties of 

 Riparia growing under favorable circumstances. It is probable that 

 under more unfavorable conditions the vigor of the Grande Glabre and 

 the Gloire de Montpellier would be increased. 



One advantage the Riparia has over the Rupestris is that it is more 

 easily grafted when old than the Rupestris. In this State, where vine- 

 yardists still insist on planting the cuttings in place instead of in 



