110 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



When discovered, some of the smaller ones on the outside of 

 the bundle were completely dried, but the majority were only 

 somewhat wilted, and fully 80 per cent of them lived after 

 planting in the nursery. This tenacity of life is a strong 

 recommendation for the seedling Calif arnica, as most likely 

 to insure a full stand, even under conditions that would 

 seriously diminish the percentage of success with even the 

 most easily rooted cuttings. 



Differences in the Earliness of the Several Stocks. An im- 

 portant point of which the exact influence cannot yet be fore- 

 seen, but which deserves serious consideration, is the relative 

 earliness of the several resistant stocks. However little the 

 stock may specifically influence the character of the fruit, it is 

 probable that one and the same grape variety grafted on the 

 riparia on the one hand and on the Calif arnica on the other, 

 would be materially influenced in the earliness of its start in 

 spring, as well as in the maturity of its fruit, by the roots 

 upon \yhich they are severally dependent for the rise of the 

 sap. The rupestris is even a more extreme case than the 

 riparia, for this spring it has started on an average at least 

 one week in advance of the riparia on the same soil, making 

 possible, according to Mr. Klee's estimate, a difference of 

 nearly four weeks as between Californica and rupestris. In 

 my vineyard at Mission San Jose, the actual difference this 

 season has been about three weeks. 



This consideration becomes very serious in relation to 

 damage from frost, which would be likely to be much greater 

 on riparia roots than on those of the Californica. Again, as 

 regards the ripening of grape varieties which it would be desir- 

 able to blend, and which yet ripen too far apart in time to 

 be fermented together, it might be practicable to retard the 

 one and advance the other by judicious selection of the stock, 

 so that both should ripen nearly or quite at the same time. 

 Similarly it might be feasible to make the same grape variety 



