286 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



saved as a dressing for the vineyard. It is still a mooted question wliether 

 it is best to plant a vineyard eight feet by eight and grow fifteen pounds 

 upon each vine, or to plant two and a-half by three feet, producing less to 

 the vine but the same quantity to the acre. I once held that it would make 

 no difference whether we make fifteen pounds from onre or six vines. In 

 my late tour in Europe I have been led to doubt upon this question. Many 

 hold that the six vines tend more to draw all the strength of the soil, that 

 the grapes will be better, the yield more certain, and that they will make 

 better wine, I would, however, recommend, whatever the distance apart, 

 that the vines should always be planted in squares, so that they can be 

 cultivated by the plow both ways. We are very little troubled in Califor- 

 nia with any disease of the vine. They find some mildew in low situations, 

 but none was spoken of by the j^^^^^^cs who left records at all the Missions 

 touching the growth of the vine in California. 



We sometimes have a small white fly, not larger than a pin's head, which 

 slimes the leaf, causes it to turn yellow and sometimes to drop off. This 

 does not appear to check the growth of the vines nor injure the fruit. I 

 once practiced jarring the vines, which dislodges the fly, and by working 

 the earth destroyed them. I continued this ten or twelve days, but saw no 

 material benefit to the vines thus treated, and last year saw very few of 

 the insects. We successfullygrow the same grape in California that makes 

 the Burgundy wine of France. Champagne is made from the old California 

 vine, and also from those imported, and no one can tell the difference be- 

 tween Champagne made in California and Champagne made in France. We 

 grow the Kisling, from which the famous Johannisberg is made, and it is 

 possible that localities will yet be discovered that will produce a wine 

 equal in every respect to that celebrated sort. The Noria and Pinio planted 

 in grey soil make wine like the Burgundy. The quality of the soil makes 

 a vast difference in the quality of the wine. We never add sugar to the 

 must, because our soil and climate produce sufficient in the fruit. In coun- 

 tries where that is not the case, sugar should be added. Potato or starch, 

 sugar or highly refined cane sugar, only should be used. When there is 

 too little tartaric acid more should be added; if in excess, it must be taken 

 away, as wine requires exact proportions of these two ingredients. To 

 make wine of first quality, no sugar nor water should be added to the must. 



At Buena Vista, we distil all the second class wine, and the brandy has 

 such reputation that it sells readily at $5 per gallon. There is connected 

 with this estate about 6,000 acres of land, owned by a joint stock company 

 who now have 900 acres in vines, and intend to plant 3,500 acres. When 

 I planted the first 40 acres where it would not be possible to irrigate the 

 vineyard, I was told that it was impossible to grow vines in such a situ- 

 ation. When it was discovered that they grew vigorously, I was told that 

 it was impossible to producefruit without irrigation. The third year I had a 

 considerable crop, and land in that vicinity, hitherto worthless, directly 

 attained a salable value. We now have a three-story building for the 

 wine- press, operated by a steam engine, which is supposed to be the only 

 one in the world similarly employed. The fruit is brought to the upper 

 story of the wine-press in wagons, each of which carries forty boxes, so 

 that the exact quantity in each load is known. The juice that runs from 



