AND WINE MAKING. 277 



fact, the ease with which grapes and all other fruits have 

 been grown here, has engendered in many of the old 

 grape growers, a disposition to ease and slovenliness; and 

 has been the cause of a great deal of poor management 

 and carelessness, of which poor results, in quality and 

 quantity, were the natural consequences. Many have 

 rushed heedlessly into grape culture, without any fitness 

 for the task. These will quit it after a few years of 

 seemingly unfavorable results, and the sooner they drop 

 from the ranks, the better it will be for the ultimate suc- 

 cess of the cause. 



FROSTS. 



As remarked before, the greatest care should be taken 

 to avoid frosty locations. But if any one is so unfortunate 

 as to have a vineyard subject to frosts, he can do some- 

 thing to avoid the calamity. It is a universal practice to 

 place pans holding gas tar in different parts of the vine- 

 yard, which is lighted about three o'clock in the morning, 

 and makes a very dense smoke. Any other material that 

 will make a thick smoke, may also be used. While smoke 

 may be a partial protection if the thermometer falls but 

 a degree or so below the freezing point, I have little faith 

 in its efficacy when the temperature falls still lower. I 

 believe more in longer pruning, as a means to guard 

 against total loss. A grape grower in Sonoma valley, who 

 has a very frosty situation, obtained a fair crop in 1882, 

 when neighbouring vineyards were badly damaged, by 

 pruning his vines late in May, when all danger of frost 

 had passed. The upper buds of the vines, which had 

 started before the frost, had all been killed, while the 

 lower ones remained dormant. When he pruned back to 

 these, they started, and produced a fair crop, but as the 

 grapes were very late, they did not ripen fully, and being 

 Zinfandel, made a very acid wine, hardly salable. He 



