194 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



sown in the latter part of December or the first part of January. The 

 grain ripens in May. Broadcasting the seed, followed by harrowing, 

 is the common method of planting. From 20 to 40 pounds of seed is 

 used per acre when sown in the early fall and from 40 to 75 pounds 

 when sown in the spring or winter, since the spring sown grain does 

 not tiller or stool as does that sown in the fall. The usual practice is 

 to allow the land to reseed itself or volunteer after the first year, as the 

 scattering caused by allowing the ripened grain to stand for a long 

 time in the severe spring winds before harvesting leaves plenty of seed 

 on the ground to come up after the fall irrigation. 



The land is sometimes irrigated before planting but usually the 

 seed is put in dry soil and then irrigated. The amount of water needed 

 to mature the crop varies with the different soils. Usually five irriga- 

 tions are sufficient if given at the proper time. 



Oats have been tried but have never proved to be a great success, 

 mainly because they are more adapted to a colder and more moist 

 climate. The Texas Red variety yields fairly well but does not seem 

 to be as profitable as barley. 



Wheat of several varieties has been grown in the valley and has 

 given good results in most cases. Wheat is not so well adapted to 

 this locality as barley, as shown by the fact that it has been almost 

 entirely supplanted by barley during the past nine years. The rust 

 which attacked the wheat in 1905 was no more serious than in other 

 parts of the State that same year, consequently the statement that 

 wheat is more susceptible to rust in Imperial Valley than in other 

 localities is not true. The general cultural treatment for wheat is 

 the same as that for barley. 



GRAPE GROWING IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. 7 



From the beginning of the settlement of the Imperial Valley, about 

 ten years ago, the growing of grapes has received a great deal of 

 attention. There are at present about two hundred growers of grapes, 

 possessing vineyards of various sizes, from one hundred vines up to 

 one hundred acres or more, scattered over the Valley from Brawley 

 to Calexico. These vines are all of vinifera varieties, only an occa- 

 sional vine of a labrusca or other East American variety being found. 

 The total area in vines is probably about 500 to 600 acres, although 

 the County Recorder places the number of vines in the county in 

 1909 at only 159,565. 



The rapidity of growth and vigor of the vines is remarkable and 



7 By Frederic T. Bioletti, Viticulturist, California Experiment Station. 



