TESTING GEAPE VARIETIES IN THE VINIFERA REGIONS. 5 



At Oakville there are being assembled and tested on resistant stocks 

 all the grape varieties of the world thought to be of value to the Pacific 

 slope, while at Fresno similar tests are made of raisin, currant, and 

 fleshy varieties. 



GTJASTI EXPERIMENT VINEYARD. 



In view of the entirely different conditions prevailing south of the 

 Tehachapi Pass, especially in the desert region, the Department of 

 Agriculture in the spring of 1904 established another experiment 

 vineyard of like importance and acreage in the San Bernardino 

 desert, at Guasti, Cal., 950 feet above sea level, on the property of the 

 Italian Vineyard Company. (See PL I, fig. 3.) The soil mapped as 

 Maricopa gravelly sand is a gray-brown gravelly sand of very uni- 

 form texture to an unknown depth. The surface is compact when 

 unfilled, because the sharp, angular sand composing the soil becomes 

 somewhat cemented by the organic matter occurring in the topsoil. 

 At a depth of 3 feet the soil is more concentrated and often yellowish 

 from the oxidation of iron in the soil. The soil is almost entirely 

 granitic, and is washed from the Sierra Madres. It contains quan- 

 tities of undecomposed potash, feldspar particles, which should 

 insure abundant potash for the maturing of grapes. The soil covers 

 most of the San Bernardino Valley floor, and when thoroughly culti- 

 vated holds moisture well, the fine sand and silt giving the soil capil- 

 lary power to bring water up from below. Two of the largest vine- 

 yards of the world are in this valley, on similar soil. As the phyl- 

 loxera is not known to exist here, the plantings in the experiment 

 vineyard are principally Vinifera varieties. 



CHICO VARIETAL VINEYARD. 



The Chico Varietal Vineyard is located at the plant-introduction 

 field station, 3 miles east of Chico, Butte Co., Cal., and is about 196 

 feet above sea level (PI. II, fig. 1). The soil, an alluvium, is composed 

 of material brought down from the mountains and hills on the east 

 and is from 8 to 12 feet deep. It is underlain by a body of sandy 

 water-worn gravel and bowlders, which always carry water. The soil 

 is of light texture, varying from light loam to heavy, fine sandy loam, 

 the heaviest being loam. It is well drained and easily cultivated. 

 The heavy, fine sandy loam consists of from 30 to 36 inches of fine 

 sandy loam, underlain by very fine sandy loam, usually containing 

 some gravel. The light loam has from 10 to 15 inches of fine sandy 

 loam or sandy loam underlain by a heavier structure closely approach- 

 ing loam. The largest area of this soil is found about Chico, but simi- 

 lar soil occurs in the Feather and the Bear River Valleys. 



At the Chico vineyard are being assembled and maintained two 

 plants each of grape varieties that prove of special value for specific 



