222 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



is of no utility, only being additional labor, I feel sure ; but that, 

 when producing large crops, irrigation is a great advantage, is 

 equally certain. There are some compensations and uncertain- 

 ties about this whole subject, however. Irrigation makes much 

 work, and a smaller crop may pay better than a larger one. 

 The quality of the grapes may be better in the case of vines not 

 irrigated; and, by reason of our lands being more fertile in 

 grapevine food than Sonoma non-irrigated vine lands, and being 

 rich in potash, they may not wear out, but continue healthy and 

 vigorous for many years. 



DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. 



Col. M. Keller one day on our streets pleasantly said to the 

 writer : "It is well enough for you, who have a business, to make 

 all the different kinds of wine for your sales, but the Mission 

 vine is good enough for the general grower, because this is a 

 country where we can make wines of generous strength, and 

 sweet wines and brandies, and the Mission has no superior for 

 that purpose." I very highly value Col. Keller's opinion, and I 

 have learned much at various times, when conversing with him, 

 on almost every subject; but on this grape question there are 

 some differences between us. It may be owing to the fact that 

 my experiments have been exceptional in getting, perhaps, va- 

 rieties which he did not; or it may possibly have been in locality; 

 at any rate I have got some few varieties of grapes which, take 

 them all in all, are more profitable to the producer than the 

 Mission, if for no other reason than this, that they produce at 

 least fifty per cent, more grapes to the acre. I think, also, that 

 they are more valuable for other reasons. The Mission grape is 

 one which possesses many good qualities, and is, perhaps, better 

 than nine-tenths of the so-called foreign grapes ; for it is found, 

 after years of trial, that out of one hundred varieties there is, 

 perhaps, only one worthy of cultivation, but this last may have 

 qualities for special wines which the Mission does not have. 

 Were there an unlimited demand for angelica and port, then, 

 perhaps, nothing further would be wanted than the Mission 

 grape. It, too, makes a fine brandy; yet I believe a better an-, 

 gelica, port or brandy can be made from other grapes than the 

 Mission. In these three products, as I said before, the Mission 

 excels, and leaves little to be desired ; but the demand for these 

 articles is limited, and nine-tenths yes, ninety-nine hun- 

 dredths of the wines drank are dry wines, claret and hocks. 

 Now, the Mission grape dry wines are very inferior, and will 

 not sell for more than half as much, with slow sales, as Zinfan- 

 del, Blaue Elba, Berger, Reisling, Gutedel and other wines made 

 from foreign grapes. If this is so, then the only question remain- 

 ing is,can we produce these grapes ? I can with certainty say, yes. 



