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ROEDING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



A three-year-old Thompson Seedless vineyard, trellised, 

 showing pruned and unpruned vines. 



RESISTANT VINES 



The ravages of the phylloxera in the grape regions of 

 France and the practical extermination of the French 

 vineyards through this dreaded pest are too well known 

 to require repetition here. Today France is producing 

 more wine than she did in her palmiest days, prior to the 

 time the pest w r as introduced. This wonderful change 

 has been brought about by the grafting of the table, 

 raisin and wine varieties, all of which are natives of 

 Europe belonging to the Viiis Vinifera class, and none 

 of which, no matter how strong they are, but will finally 

 perish when attacked by the phylloxera. 



The resistant sorts were originally wild American 

 grapes, natives of the Mississippi valley. These were 

 taken in hand by the French viticulturists, improved by 

 hybridization and selection, until today a large number 

 of sorts adapted to a variety of soils and locations have 

 come into general use. 



The destruction of Vinifera vines is due to the roots 

 rotting whenever the insect makes a puncture, causing 

 the vine to perish in time. In the roots of the resist- 

 ants, although subject to these attacks, the punctures 

 do not extend deeper than the bark of the rootlets, and 

 as this is sloughed off each year, the roots are left as 

 healthy as before. The grapes of the resistants are 

 worthless; they simply serve as a stock for the more 

 valuable foreign varieties of wine, table and raisin grapes, 

 all of which succumb to the attacks of the phylloxera on 

 their own roots. The cultural directions already given 

 for planting vines on their own roots may be applied 

 to the resistants in so far as preparing the vines for 

 planting. In planting the rootings the vines should be 

 set so the union of the stock is at least an inch above 

 ground. As soon as the vine is planted, cover it with 

 soil, leaving only the top bud exposed. When the 

 vines have a good strong growth, clear the soil away 



from them and cut off any roots which may be started 

 from the scion. This is one of the important points in 

 bringing a resistant vineyard into bearing, for if these 

 roots are not cut off the resistant roots dwindle away 

 and the vine reverts back to its own root. Suckers 

 starting from the resistant cutting should also be 

 removed. 



It is necessary to follow up this root pruning for at 

 least five years after the vineyard is planted, for the 

 scion will invariably start out new roots if the soil from 

 plowing gets banked up against it. In later years, after 

 the wood of the vine becomes well hardened up, there 

 is very little danger of the scion making roots. The 

 same recommendations for training and pruning vines 

 on their own roots may be followed with grafted vines. 



IRRIGATION AND CULTIVATION 



There are two essentials which go hand in hand not 

 only in the great valleys of California but in many other 

 parts of the state where the annual rainfall is not 

 sufficient to maintain an active growth in the vine 

 cultivation and irrigation. Cultivation is very 

 rarely carried on to an excess but irrigation is, and 

 it frequently results in much harm to table grapes used 

 for shipping purposes. The berries instead of being 

 firm and plump become watery and as a result do not 

 carry well. Even in the first year it is a mistake to- 

 irrigate vines too often. After the vines are set it is 

 important to water them and subsequently during the 

 growing season a furrow should be plowed out on each 

 side of the row and about a foot from the vines, to carry 

 the water used for irrigating. As soon as it has soaked 

 away and before the ground gets too hard, cultivate 

 thoroughly and loosen up the soil around each vine 

 with a hoe. At the very least calculation the number of 

 irrigations during the summer and early fall months 

 should not exceed three. If the vines are making a 

 strong growth and this condition can be maintained in 

 them by cultivating, by all means depend on this to 

 promote their vigor and a strong root system rather 

 than to attempt to stimulate with too much water. 

 'The less surface roots there are and the deeper the roots 

 from the base of the vines go into the ground, the longer 

 lived will be the vineyard, and the response in produc- 

 tion will be all the greater, due to the care given the 

 vine when it was first planted. After the vineyard 

 comes into bearing a thorough irrigation, plowing out 

 a ditch in the center of the row and filling it with water, 

 is very beneficial, providing this application of water is 

 given on or before the month of June. Instances may 

 arise where it may be necessary to irrigate again at a 

 later date. This is a matter which must be determined 

 by the grower himself from his observations of the gen- 

 eral growth and the healthfulness of the vines. Much 

 interest has been taken within the last few years in 

 winter irrigation. After the vines have become dor- 

 mant there is no question but that the applying of water 

 in the latter part of November, or any time in Decem- 

 ber, has a very stimulating effect on the vine when it 

 starts to grow in the spring, and in addition to this it 

 has the tendency to stimulate the growth of vegetation, 

 all of which adds to the fertility of the soil when it is 



