248 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



3. Vineyards in other countries require more labor than ID 

 California. In Europe, the vine is trained with a stalk four 

 feet high, and supported by a pole, which has to be set down 

 every year, and to which the vine is tied. Here the stalk 

 stands alone. 



4. The equability and warmth of the climate render it easy 

 to make wine by fermentation without artificial heat, whereas, 

 in many other grape countries, fires must be kept up in the cel- 

 lars through the winter. 



5. The great variety of grapes which thrive here as com- 

 pared with eveiy other grape country. 



The disadvantages of California consist in the high price of 

 labor, the bad situation of many of the vineyards, the igno- 

 rance of the people of the arts of wine-growing and wine-mak- 

 ing, and the dearness of casks. 



Land suitable for vineyards costs from twenty to one hun- 

 dred dollars per acre, whereas it is worth from two to four 

 hundred in France ; but there is a counterbalancing difference 

 in the interest of money. 



177. Vine-planting. The vine likes a sandy or gravelly 

 (not very moist) soil, and never thrives in wet, loamy, or stiff 

 clay soil. In California, nearly all the vineyards are planted 

 on flat land ; in Europe, hills are preferred, and in Germany 

 the name for a vineyard is " weinberg " a vine-hill. 



Vineyards are planted with cuttings or with rooted vines. 

 The cuttings are obtained at the annual pruning in January or 

 February, are about thirty inches long, and are all of wood 

 less than a year old. They should be taken from vines not 

 less than four years old. The rooted vines are cuttings which 

 are planted in the nursery and allowed to grow there through 

 one season. These latter may be planted out from November 

 to March, inclusive ; cuttings from January to March. It is 

 not usual to plough more than once before planting, but sev- 

 eral ploughings would be better. The vines are planted either 

 six and a half or eight feet apart each way : the former dis- 



