RESISTANT VINES; THEIR SELECTION, ADAPTATION, ETC. 37 



special adaptation to the soil and climate. This is the case with the 

 Californica. There is but little doubt that along the rich, moist creek- 

 beds of its native home it may be able to withstand the phylloxera for 

 an indefinite time; but it is very certain that once it is removed to drier 

 or different and more unfavorable conditions, it will speedily perish from 

 the attacks of the insect. This has been the case wherever it has 

 been tried under unfavorable conditions. It grafts readily and grows 

 well from cuttings, and is most vigorous. Undoubtedly, if the Califor- 

 nica is to be depended upon, vigorous specimens from the wild vines 

 growing in dry places should be looked for, as dryness is one of the chief 

 characteristics of our soils. 



In selecting cuttings for planting, the vineyardist should carefully 

 study the nature of the special soil of the vineyard, and try to select 

 wild vines growing on as nearly similar soils as possible. 



As is the case with all the other American species, there are hundreds 

 of varieties of the Vitis Californica, and most of them will be found to 

 be worthless. So, in selecting, look for vigor, thickness of cane, and resist- 

 ance to drought. The Californica should evidently not be used as. a stock 

 when good Riparia or Rupestris can be obtained. 



VITIS ARIZONICA. 



This is a species that inhabits Arizona and New Mexico. It possesses 

 quite a good resisting power 16 out of a possible 20; grows readily from 

 cuttings, and grafts well. It has not been well tried in California, but 

 time may show that a readily adaptable stock can be obtained from it. 

 It is certain that it is inferior as a stock to the Riparia and Rupestris, 

 and where even the Arizonica will grow, the Riparia or Rupestris will 

 do well; so that for the present, experimentation with it should be limited. 



GRAFTING. 



The grafting of the vine is an operation that has come down to us 

 from the earliest times. In fact, to-day our processes differ but little 

 from those described so minutely by the Romans. It is especially since 

 American vines came into use as stocks that resist the phylloxera, that 

 the grafting of the grapevine has become common. Formerly it was 

 used merely as a rapid way of changing the varieties in a vineyard; 

 while to-day, on the contrary, all vines must be grafted, either before 

 planting, or after the vineyard has been planted out. 



It was in 1869 that Messrs. Laliman and Gaston Basile called atten- 

 tion to the importance of this operation in the reconstitution of the 

 phylloxera-ravaged vineyards of the Old World. To-day it is an opera- 

 tion which each and every vine-grower is forced to practice. In Cali- 

 fornia but little attention has been paid to this most important operation; 

 and if one will but take the trouble to examine some of the grafted 

 vineyards of the State, he will find some specimens of the poorest 

 handiwork imaginable. In fact, some of the reported failures of the 

 grafted vineyards are traceable to this cause. To those who are expert 

 grafters (and there are many such), my excuses for dwelling somewhat 

 at length on this subject are offered in advance. I do so, however, in 

 order to answer many questions from many who are not experts, but 

 who have the desire to be. 



