282 Localities for the Grape. 
summer of the higher altitudes, early maturing varieties must 
be the main reliance, for late sorts will not receive heat enough 
to bring them to iull maturity. 
Away from immediate coast influences, and up to perhaps 
three thousand feet or more. on the sides of the Sierra, the grape 
is sucessfully grown both upon the floors of the valleys and 
upon the hillsides. But there is still need of choice both of 
special locations and of varieties according to the purposes which 
the grower has in view. The coast valleys of the upper part of 
the State produce good table grapes, but they are unfavorable for 
the raisin industry because of the deficient sunshine and excess- 
ive atmospheric humidity of the autumn months. The best rai- 
sins are made in the dry, heated valleys of the interior, and the 
conditions which there develop the fullest quality in the raisin 
grape also develop the sugar in some kinds of wine grapes be- 
yond a desirable percentage. Here again the choice of suitable 
varieties intrudes itself, for the varieties which yield light table 
wines in the coast valleys may yield heavy “heady” wines in the 
interior. Valleys, too, as a rule, although they yield larger crops 
of grapes and greater measure of wine than similar area on the 
hillsides, must yield the palm for quality to the warm soils of the 
slopes. And here enters the business proposition whether large 
amount and Icss quality is better than less amount and higher 
quality. To this there can be no general answer. It depends 
upon the disposition which is to be made of the crop, and the 
demand for it. 
These few facts out of many which could be stated will 
serve to enforce the fact that wide as is the range of the grape, 
both localities and varieties for certain purposes must be intelli- 
gently chosen. Much has been learned during the last few 
years, but it will require the experience of another generation, 
perhaps, to make the matter clear. 
Soils for the Grape-——The grape will thrive on a great va- 
riety of soils, in fact, on any of those enumerated as fruit soils 
in Chapter III. There are thrifty vineyards on the light, deep 
valley loams, on the heavy clayey loams, on adobe, and on the 
red soils of the foot-hills. Even on shallow soils the grape will 
do well if given sufficient moisture, and on rocky subsoils it 
thrives if there be crevices for the roots to penetrate, or if the 
rock be shattered to admit the roots to permeable substrata. 
Standing water during the active period of the vine is, however, 
unfavorable to growth, and alkali is adverse to satisfactory re- 
sults in wine making. Almost any soil which does not hold ex- 
cess of water or is not tainted with alkali will do for the vine, 
although the plant appreciates good, deep soil, and will grow 
and bear fruit in propoition to its supply of it. Of course the 
