AND WINE MAKING. 167 



enough (after about six years) to support its fruit and 

 umbrella-like foliage, by itself. 



Pruning is done during winter, but in the lower places 

 as late as possible, to retard the starting of the vines, as 

 there is danger of the morning frosts, which sometimes 

 set in even as late as the loth of May. We allow the 

 grown vines from five to nine spurs of two eyes each, ac- 

 cording to age and size, excepting the Riessling, which 

 has been found to bear more if left with long spurs of 

 four eyes and some short spurs besides. During spring 

 the plowing, harrowing, and weeding with the cultivator, 

 are done. After the beginning of May no more work is 

 needed, as the constant sunshine will not permit any 

 weeds to grow ; only about blossoming time, during the 

 first weeks of June, Flowers of Sulphur is applied with 

 bellows, as a preventive of or cure for mildew, which pre- 

 vails in certain localities. Towards the end of September 

 the grapes are ready for picking, and the harvest con- 

 tinues through October, and may be finished as well in 

 November, the sun shining all the while. Occasionally 

 indeed, some rain falls in October, but very seldom any 

 damage is done. 



Entire failures in the crop, as well as great difference 

 in the quality of the fruit, are unknown here ; but 

 though there have been 50 pounds of grapes seen on one 

 vine, and whole vineyards of the Mission grape averaging 

 36 pounds, it would not be a safe calculation to put the 

 average yield of one vine at more than about half a gal- 

 lon. The devastations of the Phylloxera, which will 

 hereafter have to be taken into account, can be effectively 

 met by grafting on Phylloxera proof American stock of 

 Frost grape, or riparia species ; for instance, on Taylor 

 and Elvira. The experiments in this direction, that have 

 been tried in France, have also been successful here so far. 



Regarding the quality of the wines of California, they 

 have been rated as too rich in alcohol, and rather deficient 



