WINK-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 33 



apart in the vineyard, and when the young growth appears, 

 leave but one or two of the stockiest and strongest shoots. 

 Allow all the laterals to grow on these, as this will make 

 thera short jointed and stocky, Cultivate well and frequent- 

 ly, keeping the soil loose and mellow. 



This second season the young seedlings ought to make a 

 growth of a few feet of short jointed wood. This should be 

 cut down to three or four buds the next spring. These, if 

 the growth is strong enough to develop fruit buds, will gener- 

 ally show fruit, or if any of them look very promising in leaf 

 or growth, fruit may be obtained sooner by grafting the wood 

 on stronger vines. The first fruit is generally imperfect, and 

 will increase in size of bunch and berry for several years. 

 If the quality is good, and they show a fair degree of fruitful- 

 ness, they may be considered promising, although it will gen- 

 erally take several seasons to develop them fully. 



Quite a number will prove barren, or not of desirable 

 quality. These can be grafted afterwards with the most 

 promising or some good old variety; therefore there is really 

 but little loss, while a lot of seedlings are always a very inter- 

 esting study, which may be very valuable in its results. 



2. To raise seedlings as stocks for grafting. 



Here we have an entirely different object in view, and our 

 aim is simply to raise the most uniformly healthy plants, of 

 the strongest and most even growth. The wild species of our 

 Tines are more apt to produce 'these than the cultivated varie- 

 ties; therefore the seeds of them are preferred. Whether 

 these had better be Riparia, California, or ^stivalis, we will 

 consider in the chapter on " Resistant Vines/' 



A pound of seed of these wild species will generally pro- 

 duce, if good and fresh, from 2,000 to 3,000 plants, and as 

 it can now be had cheap from reliable men, who make it 

 .their business to gather it in its native region, it affords a very 

 cheap and convenient way to raise good stocks, as the price 



