GRAPE 



GRAPE 



1387 



better results for the earliest markets. The Khalili is 

 even earUer then the Lughenga and seems promising 

 for Imperial. Blue Portuguese is the only very early 

 black grape that appears on the market and is of poor 

 quality. BeUino is promising for Imperial County 

 but loses its extreme earhness farther north. By the 

 middle or end of July all varieties are ripe some- 

 where, the latest varieties ripening about that tune in 

 the earhest locaUties. Distinctions regarding earliness 

 apjily, therefore, more to districts than to vju'ieties. 



The Flame Tokay, wliich appears to be identical with 

 the Amar bou Amar of Algeria, is the chief shipping 

 grape of California. It fails to develop its bright red 

 color in Imperial so that the first shipments are from 

 the Winters and Vacaville region. The bulk of the crop 

 is raised in the middle part of the Great Valley from 

 Stockton to Sacramento, Lodi being the principal 

 center. There are numerous other smaller centers of 

 production, the latest being the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

 The next most abundant varieties are the Malaga, the 

 principal variety of the Imperial Valley, a white grape 

 raised largely also in the San Joaquin Valley from Tulare 

 to Stanislaus County, and the Emperor, a large, late 

 red grape raised chiefly in Tulare and Fresno but more 

 or less in several other counties from Los Angeles to 

 Sacramento County. In the cooler regions its color is 

 almost black. The Cornichon ( = Malakoff Isjum), a 

 long, late, black grape, the Black Prince (=Rose of 

 Peru), a moderately early round grape, and the Verdal, 

 a very late white grape, are also largely raised, the last 

 only in the Santa Cruz jVIountains. The Black Morocco 

 (=Trevoti), the Ferrara, the Gros Cohnan and the 

 Pizzutello are also raised in considerable quantities. 

 Promising new varieties are the Olivette de Cadenet, 

 Flame Muscat and some of the Persian varieties, espe- 

 cially the Paykani Razuki, a brUhant red grape which 

 bears well only when grafted, except in the Imperial 

 Valley. The Muscat of Alexandria and the Sultanina 

 (=Thompson Seedless), while primarily raisin grapes, 

 are shipped as table grapes in large quantities in most 

 seasons. The only eastern variety gro^-n for the market 

 is the Pierce, wliich satisfies the small demand for a 

 "sUp-skin." 



AJl the varieties of table grapes mentioned succeed 

 with the goblet form of pruning, although some, such 

 as the Malaga, Cornichon and Emperor, require fairly 

 long spurs and in very rich soils even moderate long 

 pruning. 



The grape season in CaUfornia extends over at least 

 six months. The earUest varieties ripen in the Imperial 

 and Coachella Vallej^s by or before June 1 and the 

 latest varieties in the latest localities do not ripen 

 until November 1 and in dry autumns may hang on 

 the vines in good condition for a month longer. 



Grapes for wine. 



The great bulk of all the red wine, both dry and 

 sweet, is made from the Zinfandel. This variety was 

 introduced very early into California but its identity 

 has never been established. It has many good quaUties. 

 It bears at an early age and with short pruning. If the 

 first crop is destroyed by spring frosts it produces 

 regular!}' a fair second crop. It succeeds best in the 

 warmer parts of Napa and Sonoma Counties. In the 

 cooler parts it fails to develop its color or flavor. In 

 the hot interior it is subject to sunburn and its peculiar 

 flavor becomes unpleasantly intense. Other widely 

 grown red wine grapes are Petite Sirah, Alicante Bous- 

 chet, Carignane, Mataro and, in southern California, 

 Blue Elbling. Varieties recommended for dry /ed wine 

 in the coast counties are Petite Sirah, Barbera, Beclan 

 and Cabernet Sauvignon ; for the hotter interior, Valde- 

 pcnas, Lagi-ain and St. Macaire; and for sweet reds of 

 Port tyi^e, Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Madeira 

 and Trousseau. 



The dry white wines are made from a large number of 



grapes of which the chief heavy-bearing varieties are 

 Burger, Palomino, Feher Szagos and Green Hungarian 

 and the chief high quality varieties, Colombar, Semillon 

 and the Rieshngs, — Johannisberg, Franken and Gray. 

 The sweet white wines are made from the above-men- 

 tioned heavy-bearing varieties and also from Mi.ssion, 

 Grenache and other light^colored red grapes. Large 

 quantities of wine and brandy are also made from the 

 culls of raisin and table grapes and in years of over- 

 production from the main crop. Varieties recommended 

 for dry white wine are the Rieshngs in the coolest 

 localities, Semillon and Colombar for the warmer parts 

 of the coast counties, and Burger, Green Hungarian 

 and Vernaccia Sarda for blending wines in the interior. 

 For sweet wines Palomino, Beba, Mission and Grenache 

 are suitable. 



Various degrees of pruning are needed for these dif- 

 ferent varieties but in a general way the heavy bearers 

 should be pruned short and the fine varieties long. 



Diseases and insects. 



Vines on the Pacific slope are remarkably free from 

 serious fungous diseases owing to the absence of sum- 

 mer rains. Oidium {Uncinula spiralis), the only-excep- 

 tion, occurs every^vhere but is controlled cheaply by 

 one or two thorough dustings with fine sulfur in the 

 warm interior and two to four in the coast regions. 

 The ubiquitous saproph>iic blue, gray and black molds 

 sometimes injure late grapes in wet autumns. 



Insect pests are more serious. The phjdloxera ren- 

 ders resistant stock necessary in most of the older dis- 

 tricts. The vine-hopper (Typhlocyba comes) is often 

 very troublesome in the warmer regions, but its attacks 

 can be much lessened by complete clearing out of green 

 growth a week or two before the starting of the buds, 

 timely use of a hopper -cage to trap the over-win- 

 tering adults in early spring before they deposit their 

 eggs and by a nicotine spray in May or June 

 when the first brood appears. Much injury is done 

 locally by the grape root-worm, the larva of the grape 

 beetle, Adoxus litis. It can be controlled by spray- 

 ing the vines in May with lead arsenate which kills 

 the adults before their eggs are laid. Erinose (Phi/top- 

 tus I'itis) is widely distributed but seldom harm- 

 ful and easily controlled with dry sulfur as used 

 for oidium. Chmbing cut-worms (larvae of Noctuid 

 moths) are very generally harmful to the buds and 

 young shoots in many seasons. Most species can be 

 controlled by the use of poisoned bait. The bait most 

 used is made by mixing forty pounds of bran with two 

 gallons of molasses and five pounds of arsenic. A better 

 bait is made by mixing twentj'-five pounds of bran and 

 twenty-five pounds of middlings with five pounds of 

 arsenic and applying dry. A pinch of the bait is j^laced at 

 the base of each vine or, with large vines, in the center of 

 the head. Grasshoppers and other general feeders are 

 sometimes troublesome, especially in new districts. 



A number of imperfectly understood diseases whose 

 causes are unknown are recognized. The chief of these 

 is the Anaheim or CaUfornian disease. This name is 

 inappropriate as it seems to occur also in southern 

 Europe and Algeria where it is ascribed to over-bearing 

 coincident with a series of dry seasons or other weaken- 

 ing causes. Another widely spread disease of a sirnilar 

 nature but less fatal is known as Littk^leaf. Various 

 causes for this disease have been suggested, but the 

 most plausible opinion seems to be that it is a case of 

 mal-nutrition due to unfavorable soil temperatures 

 during the spring. 



References. 



Publications of the Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 Berkeley, CaUfornia, especially \'iticultural ReiJort for 

 1887-93, Bulletins Nos. 119, "iSO, 180, 192, 19:i, 210, 

 241-24t> and Circulars Nos. 20, 70, ll."). ALso, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, Bulletin No. 172; Yearbook, United 



