GRAPES AND WINES IN CALIFORNIA. 147 



while, on the contrary, for one hundred acres, during the months 

 of March, April, May, June, and July (after that time no more 

 plowing is required), 3'^ou need two men and four horses — equal 

 to two hundred and sixty days' work, and double that for the 

 teams. Then the board of the men, and feed for the horses dur- 

 ing that period. However, this is a matter of opinion, and each 

 planter will follow his own idea, or will accommodate himself to 

 surrounding circumstances. But now to the planting. 



When the holes arc filled as above described, if you plant cut- 

 tings, have them two feet long; bend the cuttings ten inches deep 

 in the hole, near to a right angle, the lower part of which is laid 

 horizontally ort the bottom, and the upper part on the side wall 

 of your hole, the top of it to be above the ground three inches. 

 Then fill the hole from the ground surrounding the hole, which, 

 of course, is top ground ; then tramp the earth fast on your cut- 

 ting, that no vacancy shall remain in the hole. Otherwise foul air 

 will gather in said vacancy, and the cutting become mouldy, and 

 will not live. But if you plant rooted vines, your holes will be 

 filled to six inches. Now take your rooted vine, spread the roots 

 on the bottom, and throw from the surrounding top ground on 

 the roots ; shake it well, so that the pulverized ground shall get 

 among the roots. Then tread gently with your foot round the 

 root. It is still better if you prepare, from one part of fresh cow 

 manure and three parts of black earth with water, a mud mixture 

 of the consistency of tar. Put, before planting, your rooted vines 

 in the same, and when so dipped, turn them in the bucket round 

 and round. By this every root and fibre of the vines will be sur- 

 rounded with this tar-like stuft', and prevent it from becoming 

 mouldy under ground. After this, the ground in the front of the 

 hole, taken out the last of the same, is to be leveled about the 

 vine so as to leave a dish-like excavation around, as a receptacle 

 and conductor of moisture to the roots. Be careful never to plant 

 your vines too deep. It is better — if you make a mistake — to 

 have them too shallow than too deep. 



Cultivating. — The vines having been planted — either as cuttings 

 or as rooted vines — in the month of January, the ground being 

 recently plowed, not many weeds will be visible before the month 

 of March. But this month it will be time to commence, either 

 on account of weeds, or that the ground has already hardened 

 around the vines, and requires stirring and pulverizing, so that 

 the atmosphere may penetrate freely to the roots ; for this pur- 



