GRAPES AND WINES IN CALIFORNIA. 151 



ing in tubs overnight or the next day. The crusher is a simple 

 machine. There are three cast iron cylinders ; two of them, of 

 even size, roll against each other ; the third one is on top of the 

 two lower ones, and is fluted, for the purpose of taking hold of 

 the bunch and pressing it down to the two lower ones. These 

 latter have very small projections, like a waffle-iron, so as to crush 

 the grapes; but not the grape-seed', which would be injurious to 

 the taste of the wine. I have one of these crushers, made to 

 crush apples for cider, and it answers admirably. Two men 

 crush easily with it five thousand pounds of grapes in a day. 



[Opinions vary much in Europe with regard to crushing or 

 stamping grapes with the feet. Our opinion is, that cylinder 

 crushing is as good as treading, if it does not crack the seeds of 

 the grape. Two wooden rollers, eighteen inches in diameter and 

 two feet long, with a hopper on the top into which the grapes are 

 poured, will crush grapes enough to make fifteen hundred gallons 

 per day, with two men in attendance.] 



Cost of Planting a Vineyard. — This, of course, will vary with the 

 price of labor, locality, and soil ; but to give an idea to persons 

 who have no practical knowledge, I will give here a correct ac- 

 count of the planting of a vineyard of one hundred acres. This 

 was actually expended on the same in labor and money, as I kept 

 a strict account of every thing. The soil is red clay, intermixed 

 with volcanic rocks, partly decayed and partly in the process of 

 decaying. The land had been previously cultivated for grains. 

 This hun,dred acres was planted in January, 1858. 



FIRST TEAR. 



Six men (with 9 horses for deep tiller, and 6 horses for shovel- 

 plow), 20 days each, = 120 days, $35 per month wages, and 

 $15 for board: = 120 days, at $1 93 $231 60 



Horse-hire 50 cents, feed 25 cents per day : 15 horses, 20 days 

 each .'.. 225 00 



Blacksmith's bill, wear and tear of hanicss 30 00 



Eighteen men laying out, staking, and digging holes, 21 days 

 each, = 378 days ; and 6 men planting, 23 days each, = 138 

 days: wages $30, and board $15 per month, =516 days, at 

 $1 73 892 68 



Thirty-two days' work was spent in digging the rooted vines in 

 the nursery; their cultivation during the summer brought 

 their cost to one quarter of a cent each: 68,000 vines, at 

 $2 50 per 1000 170 00 



Sundry expenses 55 36 



Total cost of planting $1604 64 



First summer's expense of cultivation, 260 days' work, 

 with board, $50 per month $500 00 



Horse-hire and feed for 5 months 205 00 



Blacksmith's bill, and wear and tear of harness 15 00 



Pruning, first year, in January 25 00 745 00 



Total first year's expenditure $2349 64 



