WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 109 



The above record of observations made by Mr. Klee are confirmed 

 by the experience of others, had during the past season. As regards, 

 first, the rooting of Californicu cuttings, the same percentage result as 

 to success is reported by Messrs. Coates & Tool of Napa, who state that 

 while they have had little success with cuttings from wild vines, 

 they are well satisfied with the outcome from cuttings made from cul- 

 tivated Oalifornica stocks. Mr. J. H. Wheeler reports similar success; 

 The same seems to be true of the Arizonica, which was at first reported 

 to root with great difficulty. It is true that the season of 1884 was 

 an unusually favorable one for the rooting of cuttings; but in the nur- 

 sery the same conditions can be artificially kept up at any time; and 

 in 1885 the results were as good as in 1884. 



Of the above varieties the riparia is the one of which the cut- 

 tings can unhesitatingly be planted directly in the vineyard ; 

 the Arizonica is next ; while the rest, including the rupestris, 

 should preferably be rooted in nursery. It is true that the per- 

 centage of successful rooting of Arizonica is in the above table 

 practically the same as that of the riparia; but the extreme thin- 

 ness of the cuttings of the former renders them so much more 

 delicate in handling that only experienced hands could be 

 trusted with planting them in the vineyard, and from the 

 same cause, their vitality is easily injured by exposure to 

 drying-out, such as is but too apt to occur in the wholesale 

 method of planting. 



From what I have seen of the growth and habits of riparia 

 seedlings, I should not incline to their use in preference to 

 cuttings, on account of their delicacy and extremely slow 

 development. It is quite otherwise with the Californica, of 

 which even very small seedlings grow very readily and rapidly, 

 and are very tenacious of life under very adverse circumstan- 

 ces. In regard to the latter point, I state that in my own 

 planting, a bundle of about two hundred moderately sized seed- 

 lings were, by the carelessness of a workman left exposed in an 

 open field, with only a doubled jute sack to cover them from 

 the sunshine, which prevailed quite hotly during at least half 

 of ten days during which they remained in this position. 



