244 AMERICAN *RAPE GROWING 



and a half feet apart, placing the cuttings but an inch 

 apart in the rows. A horse cultivator, with the centre 

 tooth taken out, is to be run on both sides of the rows, 

 ridging up slightly to the cuttings, and this should be 

 repeated once a week during May, June, and July. 



As grafting should be done in the vineyard, I will give 

 the most practical method there. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



THE VINEYARD. LOCATION, SOIL, AND PREPARATION. 



Perhaps there is no other country which presents a 

 greater diversity of soils and situations than this State 

 does, and this is often seen in localities not more than 

 fifty or a hundred feet apart. On the same hillside, a 

 tough clay, commonly called "adobe" here, may change 

 into white alkali soil within a hundred feet, which in its 

 turn may give place to loose, stony soil, and this again to 

 red, volcanic soil, which contains a good deal of iron. The 

 valleys of Northern California are subject to late frosts 

 in early spring, and early frosts in fall, but even these gen- 

 erally follow certain low streaks, where the soil is not so 

 well drained ; so that one side of the valley may be com- 

 paratively exempt from frosts, while the other suffers very 

 frequently. The valleys have generally the richest and 

 most friable soil, produce the heaviest crops, and they 

 are also easier of cultivation ; while the hillsides, with 

 proper soil, will produce finer quality, though less in 

 quantity, and are more secure from frost. 



On the hillsides, my choice would be the side of hills 

 sloping towards the east and south, as they are more 

 sheltered from destructive winds, and not so exposed to 

 the afternoon sun, which is apt to scald the grapes. Of 

 hillside soils, my first choice would be, especially for red 



