GRAPE 



GRAPE 



1387 



better results for the earliest markets. The Khalili is 

 even earlier then the Luglienga and seems promising 

 for Imperial. Blue Portuguese is the only very early 

 black grape that appears on the market and is of poor 

 quality. Bellino is promising for Imperial County 

 but loses its extreme earliness farther north. By the 

 middle or end of July all varieties are ripe some- 

 where, the latest varieties ripening about that time in 

 the earliest localities. Distinctions regarding earliness 

 apply, therefore, more to districts than to varieties. 



The Flame Tokay, which appears to be identical with 

 the Amar bou Amar of Algeria, is the chief shipping 

 grape of California. It fails to develop its bright red 

 color in Imperial so that the first shipments are from 

 the Winters and Vacaville region. The bulk of the crop 

 is raised in the middle part of the Great Valley from 

 Stockton to Sacramento, Lodi being the principal 

 center. There are numerous other smaller centers of 

 production, the latest being the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

 The next most abundant varieties are the Malaga, the 

 principal variety of the Imperial Valley, a white grape 

 raised largely also in the San Joaquin Valley from Tulare 

 to Stanislaus County, and the Emperor, a large, late 

 red grape raised chiefly in Tulare and Fresno but more 

 or less in several other counties from Los Angeles to 

 Sacramento County. In the cooler regions its color is 

 almost black. The Cornichon (=Ma|akoff Isjum), a 

 long, late, black grape, the Black Prince (=Rose of 

 Peru), a moderately early round grape, and the Verdal, 

 a very late white grape, are also largely raised, the last 

 only in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Black Morocco 

 (=Trevoti), the Ferrara, the Gros Colman and the 

 Pizzutello are also raised in considerable quantities. 

 Promising new varieties are the Olivette de Cadenet, 

 Flame Muscat and some of the Persian varieties, espe- 

 cially the Paykani Razuki, a brilliant red grape which 

 bears well only when grafted, except in the Imperial 

 Valley. The Muscat of Alexandria and the Sultanina 

 (=Thpmpson Seedless), while primarily raisin grapes, 

 are shipped as table grapes in large quantities in most 

 seasons. The only-eastern variety grown for the market 

 is the Pigreey-^hich satisfies the small demand for a 

 "slip-skin." 



All the varieties of table grapes mentioned succeed 

 with the goblet form of pruning, although some, such 

 as the Malaga, Cornichon and Emperor, require fairly 

 long spurs and in very rich soils even moderate long 

 pruning. 



The grape season in California extends over at least 

 six months. The earliest varieties ripen in the Imperial 

 and Coachella Valleys by or before June 1 and the 

 latest varieties in the latest localities do not ripen 

 until November 1 and in dry autumns may hang on 

 the vines in good condition for a month longer. 



Grapes for wine. 



The great bulk of all the red wine, both dry and 

 sweet, is made from the Zinfandel. This variety was 

 introduced very early into California but its identity 

 has never been established. It has many good qualities. 

 It bears at an early age and with short pruning. If the 

 first crop is destroyed by spring frosts it produces 

 regularly a fair second crop. It succeeds best in the 

 warmer parts of Napa and Sonoma Counties. In the 

 cooler parts it fails to develop its color or flavor. In 

 the hot interior it is subject to sunburn and its peculiar 

 flavor becomes unpleasantly intense. Other widely 

 grown red wine grapes are Petite Sirah, Alicante Bous- 

 chet, Carignane, Mataro and, in southern California, 

 Blue Elbling. Varieties recommended for dry red wine 

 in the coast counties are Petite Sirah, Barbera, Beclan 

 and Cabernet Sauvignon; for the hotter interior, Valde- 

 pefias, Lagrain and St. Macaire; and for sweet reds of 

 Port type, Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Madeira 

 and Trousseau. 



The dry white wines are made from a large number of 



grapes of which the chief heavy-bearing varieties are 

 Burger, Palomino, Feher Szagos and Green Hungarian 

 and the chief high quality varieties, Colombar, Semillon 

 and the Rieslings, Johannisberg, Franken and Gray. 

 The sweet white wines are made from the above-men- 

 tioned heavy-bearing varieties and also from Mission, 

 Grenache and other light-colored red grapes. Large 

 quantities of wine and brandy are also made from the 

 culls of raisin and table grapes and in years of over- 

 production from the main crop. Varieties recommended 

 for dry white wine are the Rieslings in the coolest 

 localities, Semillon and Colombar for the warmer parts 

 of the coast counties, and Burger, Green Hungarian 

 and Vernaccia Sarda for blending wines in the interior. 

 For sweet wines Palomino, Beba, Mission and Grenache 

 are suitable. 



Various degrees of pruning are needed for these dif- 

 ferent varieties but in a general way the heavy bearers 

 should be pruned short and the fine varieties long. 



Diseases and insects. 



Vines on the Pacific slope are remarkably free from 

 serious fungous diseases owing to the absence of sum- 

 mer rains. Oidium (Uncinula spiralis), the only excep- 

 tion, occurs everywhere but is controlled cheaply by 

 one or two thorough dustings with fine sulfur in the 

 warm interior and two to four in the coast regions. 

 The ubiquitous saprophytic blue, gray and black molds 

 sometimes injure late grapes in wet autumns. 



Insect pests are more serious. The phylloxera ren- 

 ders resistant stock necessary in most of the older dis- 

 tricts. The vine-hopper (Typhlocypa comes) is often 

 very troublesome in the warmer regions, but its attacks 

 can be much lessened by complete clearing out of green 

 growth a week or two before the starting of the buds, 

 timely use of a hopper -cage to trap the over-win- 

 tering adults in early spring before they deposit their 

 eggs and by a nicotine spray in May or June 

 when the first brood appears. Much injury is done 

 locally by the grape root-worm, the larva of the grape 

 beetle, Adoxus vitis. It can be controlled by spray- 

 ing the vines in May with lead arsenate which kills 

 the adults before their eggs are laid. Erinose (Phytop- 

 tus vitis) is widely distributed but seldom harm- 

 ful and easily controlled with dry sulfur as used 

 for oidium. Climbing cut-worms (larvae of Noctuid 

 moths) are very generally harmful to the buds and 

 young shoots in many seasons. Most species can be 

 controlled by the use of poisoned bait. The bait most 

 used is made by mixing forty pounds of bran with two 

 gallons of molasses and five pounds of arsenic. A better 

 bait is made by mixing twenty-five pounds of bran and 

 twenty-five pounds of middlings with five pounds of 

 arsenic and applying dry. A pinch of the bait is placed at 

 the base of each vine or, with large vines, in the center of 

 the head. Grasshoppers and other general feeders are 

 sometimes troublesome, especially in new districts. 



A number of imperfectly understood diseases whose 

 causes are unknown are recognized. The chief of these 

 is the Anaheim or Californian disease. This name is 

 inappropriate as it seems to occur also in southern 

 Europe and Algeria where it is ascribed to over-bearing 

 coincident with a series of dry seasons or other weaken- 

 ing causes. Another widely spread disease of a similar 

 nature but less fatal is known as Little-leaf. Various 

 causes for this disease have been suggested, but the 

 most plausible opinion seems to be that it is a case of 

 mal-nutrition due to unfavorable soil temperatures 

 during the spring. 



References. 



Publications of the Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 Berkeley, California, especially Viticultural Report for 

 1887-93, Bulletins Nos. 119, 180, 186, 192, 193, 210, 

 241-246 and Circulars Nos. 26, 76, 115. Also, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, Bulletin No. 172; Yearbook, United 



