WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 231 



that, with such care, a timely drink or two to the vines, in 

 the growing season, increases the crop, strengthens and am- 

 plifies the foliage (so important in prevention of sunburn to 

 clusters of fruit), enlarges the berries, fills out. the bunches 

 and generally promotes the quality as well as the quantity 

 of the yield. 



Many acres of this shipping vineyard have, under this sys- 

 tem, yielded seven and eight tons to the acre of shipping 

 grapes, but it is safe to say that, taking the average of years 

 and of acres, at least four (4) tons to the acre, of selected 

 grapes, in crates on the cars, may be counted upon from the 

 vineyard for each year, and since the quantity of culls and 

 trimmings, not packed, that go to the wine house and distill- 

 ery, go very far towards paying all the expenses, it follows 

 that this remarkably favored vineyard realizes upwards of 

 $200 per acre per year. The Tokays are grown well up from 

 the ground, are staked and pruned with medium long canes, 

 special attention being paid, in the season of growth, to 

 nipping back the long shoots, so as to make denser the foliage, 

 and thus protect the clusters of fruit from that worst foe of 

 the Tokay grape, viz : " sunburn." 



In the season of 1882-83 it was realized that so complete a 

 demonstration of the fitness of Natoma soil and climate to 

 the growth of the grape had been made as to justify a much 

 larger utilization of the company's lands for vineyard, and, 

 accordingly, the company directed the then manager (one of 

 the principal stockholders as well), Horatio P. Livermore, to 

 proceed with the immediate planting of 1000 acres more of 

 vineyard. 



Commencing work on November loth, 1882, the land was 

 cleared of its timber, thoroughly subsoiled, and planted by 

 March 23d, 1883, work which illustrates strikingly the favor- 

 able character of the California winter climate, for nowhere 

 else would it have been possible, because of probable inter- 



