REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION 41 



come well established even the ordinary school men will be able to serve the 

 community well. 



In a country high school general science, while treating of the ordinary 

 scientific knowledge of every day life, can best be taught by taking plant life 

 as its basis. Much of its material can be taken from grape growing, for 

 example: the varieties of grapes and their origin, the budding, grafting and 

 growing of cuttings, diseases, phylloxera, resistant stocks, the principles of 

 wine making, the study of yeasts, bacteria, and molds, and so on. Many of 

 these subjects have a bearing on other things as well as on the grape 

 industry. 



Botany would naturally study plant life, in which the grape could be 

 used as much as possible, and the fruiting habits of the grape studied and 

 pruning emphasized. 



Physical Geography could treat of the soils and climatic conditions. 



Chemistry should take up the composition of the wines, the changing of 

 the sugar to alcohol, the other elements contained in the wines, and the sub- 

 jects of sophistification and amelioration. 



Physics would treat more of the mechanical operations of farm work and 

 there is an unlimited amount of material for illustrating its principles. 



If in any high school, anything of an agricultural nature is given, the 

 study of the grape should be included. In those places where the grape is 

 grown either for home consumption or for commercial purposes, viticulture 

 should be strongly emphasized. 



Of the whole horticultural group, it is the easiest to be handled in regard 

 to cost, ease of operation and establishment, and the shortness of the time in 

 which it can be covered. It is particularly fitting in California because of the 

 magnitude of the grape industry in its several fields of wine making, raisin 

 growing, and the production of table grapes. If our schools are to present 

 courses in various vocational lines, viticulture should be given its place. 



It is also valuable as a representative subject. Most of the work in the 

 schools must be general in type, giving foundation principles that can be 

 applied specifically after the pupils get out in life. In teaching viticulture 

 in the school, the foundation principles of the whole fruit and vine industry 

 will be covered. The first thing to be considered is the requirements and 

 preparation of the soil for planting a new vineyard. While the grape can be 

 profitably raised on a wider range of soil than any other single product, yet 

 the variations due to the different soils are very important and the grape can 

 be used as the means of their study and their preparation and care. The 

 adaptation of different varieties of grape to different soils and climate is a 

 good illustration of the variation due to soil and climate and if the subject 

 is well treated in viticulture, one will have a good conception of it for any 

 other product of the soil. 



The propagation of the grape is easy, quick and interesting. The same 

 results with any kind of fruit trees would take much longer and for this 

 reason such work can be done with the grape to an advantage in high school 

 courses. The grafting, budding, and raising from cuttings can all be done 

 easily by the high school pupils. The subject of resistant varieties and their 

 development is a fascinating study, and it is easy to have the different 

 resistant varieties growing on the school grounds for study. 



