108 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OP VITICULTURE 



sandy soil and the proportion of "water berries" is larger. On sandy or 

 sandy loam soils the vines are comparatively small, the leaves light green 

 and not dense, the grapes are early and of good quality and the yield of 

 first crop, although not large, is satisfactory. These facts are quite evident 

 to any one comparing the appearance of fruit and vines on different soil 

 types, either on the same or on different ranches. 



Many of the early vineyards were planted on the harder types of soil, 

 with consequent poor results, which discouraged many of the growers, some 

 of whom came to the erroneous conclusion that Imperial Valley was not 

 adapted to the production of a good quality of early table grapes. It can be 

 quite definitely said, therefore, that the best profits can be made when 

 grapes are planted on sandy or sandy loam soils. 



The production of "water berries," which has been a decidedly important 

 factor in the failure of some vineyards to produce a satisfactory profit, is 

 closely associated with the soil type, as already suggested. In some cases 

 fully fifty per cent of the grapes had to be discarded on account of these 

 poor berries. The "water berry" can be described as a soft bluish berry 

 occurring in whole bunches or as individual berries in a bunch. They are 

 semi-transparent and have very poor shipping and keeping qualities. The 

 following observations have been made in connection with this undesirable 

 condition. Water berries are found more abundant on young than on old 

 vines. They are much more common on vines growing in hard or medium 

 hard soils than on a sandy type. They are usually found on soils too dry 

 for successful vine growth. Too much water does not seem to produce this 

 condition unless it is applied just before or during the sugaring period on 

 vines which have previously been too dry. 



Alkali is of course injurious and has done some damage in some of the 

 valley plantings, although as a general rule the vineyards have been planted 

 on soils comparatively free from injurious salts. Common salt or sodium 

 chloride is the common so-called alkali in this section. The salts have usually 

 only caused damage in small patches in the vineyards, and often have done 

 no damage until the vines are three or four years old, when the roots have 

 penetrated to some sub-stratum containing more alkali than the overlying 

 soils. This spotted condition is characteristic of the occurrence of alkali 

 here as in other parts of the State. Continuous irrigation through furrows 

 has caused a concentration of alkali in the row which has frequently killed 

 old vines. On this account it is quite a general practice to flood the vine- 

 yards during the winter, after pruning, in order to distribute these salts. 



In a section where the average rainfall for the year totals less than 

 three inches, irrigation is, of course, a very important operation. Over- 

 irrigation is seldom practiced in the vineyards of this section, although on the 

 very sandy types too much water has been applied to the detriment of the 

 vineyard. On the other hand too little irrigation is not infrequent. Cases 

 have been noted where water has not penetrated more than eighteen inches 

 to two feet, with the natural result that the roots were all near the surface 

 and affected by the least drought. Hundreds of dollars have been spent in 

 treating for disease vines which needed nothing but a thorough irrigation. 

 Every irrigator should know how far the water penetrates in his soil type 

 and should irrigate in such a way that a fairly constant supply of moisture 

 will be maintained, through the growing season. The method or time of 



