AGRICULTURE. 189 
gated; for the vine, when taking root, likes water. During 
the first year after planting, the vine-grower has nothing to do 
save to irrigate twice, to plough several times, and to hoe 
down such weeds as cannot be reached with the plough. 
There is very little growth of wood the first year, but it fre- 
quently happens that cuttings bear grapes—one bunch, it may 
be, to a dozen vines. Rooted vines do not bear the first year. 
The next year the ground should be kept loose and clean by 
ploughing and hoeing twice or thrice. Any suckers springing 
out from buds beneath the surface must be broken off, and a 
little pruning is done. In pruning, regard is had to the form 
which the stalk is to have. 
The vine bears fruit on new wood; that is, on twigs pro- 
duced in the same season with the grape. All the twigs are 
cut off every year, leaving a bare stalk. In the old vineyards 
of California the stalks are from three to five feet high. Of 
late, the more general custom is to make the stalks about fif- 
teen inches high. It is observed that the nearer the grapes to 
the ground, the earlier they ripen, and the less liable they are 
to injury from frost and wind. The strongest shoot is selected 
to make the stalk, and it is tied to a little stake stuck into the 
ground at its side, and the other shoots are cut off. It is a 
matter of importance to use the stake so that the vines may 
grow straight up. Vineyards planted with cuttings bear no 
grapes the second year; those planted with rooted vines may 
bear afew. In the southern part of the state the vineyard 
must be irrigated at least twice every summer} in many locali- 
ties in the northern and middle districts, irrigation is consid- 
ered unnecessary, though it would undoubtedly be beneficial 
during the first year. 
The third year, the ploughing and hoeing is the same as the 
second. More attention must be given to the pruning. All 
the twigs are cut off save two or three, which sprout from the 
top of the stalk, and these are pruned so as to leave but two 
buds on each, which are to produce all the wood and fruit of 
the season. This year the vines should produce three or four 
