JG6 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



VITICULTURE IN SONOMA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. 



BY JULIUS DRESEL. 



When the first American emigrants came to California, 

 they found vines already planted in many places, especi- 

 ally around the religious colonies, or missions, established 

 by the Jesuit Fathers. Prom this fact was derived the 

 name, Mission grape, for that vigorous, but rather coarse, 

 originally Spanish, red grape, which soon spread over the 

 whole State, and has ever since provided the market with 

 the California Hock, Claret, Port, and Angelica wines. 

 Soon, however, the best European varieties from Hungary, 

 Germany, and France, were introduced, they grew equally 

 well nearly everywhere, and were designated as "For- 

 eigns." Some of these foreign varieties are mainly raised 

 for table use, as Flaming Tokay, Black Hamburg, Muscat 

 of Alexandria, and many others, or to be turned into 

 raisins ; but our best white wines are now principally 

 made from the Riessling, Gutedel (Chasselas), Muscatel, 

 Burger, and the red, by preference, from the Zinfindel. 



As'labor was too high to allow of the use of the hoe, 

 our vineyards had to be cultivated by the plow, and con- 

 sequently the vines were planted 8 feet, sometimes 6 feet, 

 and lately 7 feet apart each way, allowing the single plow 

 as well as a two-horse team to pass both ways. The 

 ground is laid out with the chain, every 7 feet being 

 marked by a small, white stick, and the cuttings, or 

 better rootlings, are planted ; these are 20 inches long 

 and placed slantingly, in holes dug by the spade, about 2 

 feet deep. The stick is, two years later, replaced by a * 

 strong stake 3 l / 9 to 4 feet long, to which to tie the vine 

 until the stem, commonly 18 inches to 2 feet high, is big 



