REPORT OP COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION 109 



irrigation apparently makes little" difference in either yield or quality, pro- 

 vided plenty of water is added to keep up a good growth. Some practice 

 and advocate winter irrigation, with no spring or summer irrigation until 

 the grapes have been harvested. Others advocate the app ication of water 

 at more or less frequent intervals during the spring and early summer. 

 Both methods, with others half-way between, have given good results. 



Pruning undoubtedly has an important bearing upon the results secured 

 in the vineyards. Pruning methods for this section must be studied before 

 the best work can be done. The tendency of the vines to make a very 

 rapid vegetative growth at once suggests longer pruning, leaving three buds 

 instead of two, or leaving more canes. This applies particularly to the early 

 Persian varieties, which make a very large growth but so far have produced 

 a very poor yield. This can be overdone, however, as clearly evidenced in 

 one instance where twelve to fifteen canes were left, with the hope of secur- 

 ing a larger yield. The total yield was larger than at any previous time 

 but the quality was poor. Where before a large part of the crop had been 

 sold as fancy grapes, the percentage of good bunches was very small, and 

 the profits less. Some of the varieties which are normally pruned short, 

 will probably be improved by long pruning and trellising. This is being 

 tried with all of the Persians and some other vigorous varieties. 



The practice of shipping grapes which are too green has been practi- 

 cally stopped in Imperial Valley, on account of the poor results secured 

 from these green shipments and on account of the campaign of education 

 along this line. Some still tend to pick before the sugar content is as high 

 as desired, but the practice is diminishing. 



The question of varieties is a live issue among the vineyardists. As 

 previously stated, the first vineyard planted contained twenty varieties of 

 grapes. Some of these proved to be quite well adapted to conditions, while 

 others proved to be quite inferior. Needless to say the mixture of twenty 

 varieties in one small vineyard was not profitable and as a result the whole 

 patch was dug up in 1913. Alkali patches in this vineyard formed a really 

 important contributing cause for the digging up of the vineyard however. 



Malaga grapes form a large part of the grape acreage in the valley, 

 and are well adapted to the conditions. The earlier ripening grapes, however, 

 are the varieties which are receiving the greatest attention at the present 

 time, and very few Malagas are now being planted. The Thompson Seedless 

 is, perhaps, the favorite grape at present, as it bears well, ripens early and 

 is easily packed. Persian No. 23 and Persian No. 21 are very promising 

 grapes but so far have not borne well. Long pruning may remedy this un- 

 favorable feature, in fact, if the blossoms on the vines at present are any 

 criterion the yield will be very satisfactory on the vines which were pruned 

 long. Persian No. 23 is slightly earlier than No. 21. Both varieties are large 

 white grapes. The bunches are large and loose and the grape is a good 

 shipper. The Khalili is the earliest grape grown in this section. It ripens 

 in the latter part of May and may prove to be a very desirable variety for 

 this section. The grapes are slightly larger than the Thompson Seedless, 

 are almost seedless and are fair shippers. 



Many of the colored varieties do not succeed. In most cases they do not 

 color well. The Flame Tokay, for example, is shipped as White Tokay. The 

 first crop of Emperors is very light, although the second and third crops 



