mepican 'ines. \ s AMERICAN VINES (RESISTANT STOCK) THEIR ADAPTATION, CULTURE, GRAFTING AND PROPAGATION BY P. VIALA Inspector-General of Viticulture, Professor of Viticulture (National Agronomic Institute, Paris) AND L. RAVAZ Professor of Viticulture, National School of Agriculture (Montpellier) COMPLETE TRANSLATION OF THE SECOND EDITION BY RAYMOND DUBOIS, B. Sc., F.R.C. S. Ingenieur Agricole, Viticulturist to the Government of Cape Colony AND EDMUND H. TWIGHT B. Sc. Ingenieur Agricole, Assistant Professor of Viticulture and Enology, College of Agriculture, University of California, Berkeley, Cal., U. S. A. 1903. PRESS OF FREYGANG-LEARY Co., 113-119 DAVIS ST., SAN FRANCISCO. O-C PREFACE TO CALIFORNIA EDITION (TRANSLATION.) The translation of the book which Messrs. Raymond Dubois and Edmund H. Twight are now presenting to California viti- culturists is a summary of the efforts accomplished by the viticulturists of France in the struggle against phylloxera, and of the new knowledge they have definitely gained for the reconstitution of vineyards. This knowledge has been revised to date for the present translation, and all new facts which actually permit to direct the reconstitution of vineyards are brought together in this California translation. The viticulturists of California are practically working under the same conditions as the viticulturists of the South of France, therefore the facts acquired in that region should be applied in their vineyards. These facts are simple, and consist, above all, in having recourse to the American vines most resistant to phylloxera, that is to say, in using pure species (V. Riparia, V. Rupestris, V. Berlandieri), or hybrids of these species (V. Riparia X V. Rupestris, V. Rupestris X V. Berlandieri, and V. Riparia X V. Berlandieri). The essential condition is to select different graft-bearers, accord- ing to the diverse classes of soils, and we trust that this book will assist California viticulturists in that direction. The course to be followed in the struggle against phylloxera is nowadays definitely established. The immense efforts accomplished by our French viticulturists have vanquished an unprecedented crisis; their work, crowned with success, should benefit the viticulturists of the whole world. The most definite and general conclusion derived from this strug- gle is the superiority of reconstitution with American vines resisting the attacks of the insects. France possessed, before 4 PREFACE the phylloxera invasion, over 5,000,000 acres of vines; more than three-fourths of that area have been destroyed by phylloxera. By 1899, 2,500,000 acres were reconstituted with American vines. The production of wine, which had fallen to 638,000,000 gallons, exceeded, in 1900, 1,430,000,000 gallons; further, the average production was 1,100,000,000 gallons before the appearance of phylloxera. The Depart- ment of the Herault, in which 450,000 acres were formerly under vines, had, by 1900, reconstituted 445,435 acres with American vines. All other processes or methods of combating phylloxera can only be of transitory value, and only prepare, more or less progressively, the way for eventual reconstitution with American vines. The following comparative figures estab- lish this beyond a doubt: Bisulphide of carbon was applied in France in 1890 to 155,595 acres; in 1900, it was only applied to 90,500 acres, American vines, on the contrary, show the following pro- gressive increase: 1880 16,102 acres. 1885 188,230 acres. 1890 1,090,045 acres. 1900 '. 2,404,895 acres. The use of American vines necessitates, however, greater supplementary care in culture; but these difficulties (selection of graft-bearers for different classes of soils and grafting) are insignificant for those who possess a sound knowledge of adaptation. The main object of this translation is to impart that knowledge, and we trust that the viticulturists of Cali- fornia will profit by the work which the translators have so willingly performed. P. VIALA, Inspector-General of Viticulture. PARIS, December, 1902. TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION. As the area of phylloxera-attacked vineyards in California increases rapidly every year, and the insect has now obtained a firm footing in our most important viticultural centers, we may safely assume, in the light of the history of the rapid spread of phylloxera in European vine-growing countries, that at no distant date every vineyard in California will be devastated by this terrible insect. Already we have seen the destruction it caused in the Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, reach- ing thousands of acres in extent, and it will spread slowly but surely to Southern California. The signal and world- wide failure of the extinction method to check the progress of the phylloxera should be clearly recognized by all Califor- nian vine growers. In looking over many serial writings published some twenty years ago, during the early period of phylloxera history in France, and bearing in mind that at present almost the whole of the French vineyards are phylloxerated and reconstituted, nothing now appears more ludicrous than the constantly reiterated advice tendered by authorities in vine districts free from the insect to unfortunate growers in attacked districts to persevere in their attempts at "total extinction" and not to plant American vines "because the phylloxera and other dis- eases lived on them." Authorities in European States free from phylloxera were especially loud in their praises of the extinction method, but undoubtedly their motives in recom- mending total extinction were not purely disinterested. Mill- ardet one of the early advocates of reconstitution, quaintly remarked that the opponents of the American grafting stock 8 INTRODUCTION. had really adduced the strongest argument in their favor, namely, the fact that the phylloxera lived on them without causing injury. The indisputable fact should be clearly grasped that phylloxera comes to stay, that the extinction method has proved an utter failure in Europe, no matter how thoroughly and expensively carried out, as in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Roumania, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal, Russia, Servia. In all of these countries without exception, phylloxera has spread and viticulturists bave been finally compelled to reconstitute their vineyards with phylloxera-resistant American vines. The vine growers of California have taken hold of that question for a good many years, and helped by the Agricul- tural Experiment Station of the University of California and also by the Viticultural Commission have been able to re- establish a great many of their vineyards. There seems nevertheless to be a need for more knowledge on the subject, a thorough understanding of these resistant vines. Their properties, grafting affinity with European stock, degree of resistance, adaptation to soils, becomes a matter of primary necessity as the first step towards permanent reconstitution on a phylloxera-resistant basis. The difficult problems which were necessarily connected with the early culture of American resistant stock have been solved in the most manner in the culture of practical Europe ; resistant stock no longer presents any trouble to the intel- ligent grower, and as a result, during the last twenty years the areas successfully reconstituted total some millions of acres, bearing heavier ^nd finer crops than before the advent of the phylloxera. All the best knowledge and information on the culture of American vines^has been systematically gathered by Profes- sors Viala and Ravaz in their k world-renowned work, "Les INTRODUCTION. 9 Vignes Americaines : Adaptation, Culture, Greffage, Pep- inieres." We therefore deemed it advisable to translate the second edition of their book, which appeared in 1896. Professor Viala authorized the translation, and with great kindness undertook the laborious revision of the whole of the proof sheets, thus bringing the work to date 1902. We trust Californian Viticulturists will thoroughly appre- ciate Professor Viala's liberal-minded labours on their behalf, and benefit by the work he so willingly undertook for their guidance during the transition period through which all vine-growing countries seem compelled to pass of re-estab- lishing on a phylloxera-resistant basis. EDMUND H. TWIGHT, RAYMOND DUBOIS, Berkeley, Jan., 1903. Cape Town, Jan., 1903. U. S. A. AMERICAN VINES PART I. ADAPTATION. L INTRODUCTION. When the American vines were first cultivated in France on a large scale, it was soon apparent that they were not thriving equally well in all soils. Such varieties as were thriving well in one soil grew indifferently in another; and, in the same soil, they were not all growing in the same manner. Evidently, it would have been easy to foresee that this would be the case if beforehand, care had been taken to study the nature of the soils in which they were living in America. But, in the haste in which new vineyards were started, the mistake was made of thinking that American vines would grow in all kinds of soils just as the European (Vitis Vintferd) did. All the European vines belong to one species the V. Vinifera. Their pecularities and properties extend, with only slight differences, to all the varieties cultivated. With the American vines we have to deal with species not only differing from the V. Vinifera, but also very different from one another. Consequently, their numerous varieties, which had adapted themselves to special con- ditons, gave very different results when planted in similar conditions. But this was not taken into account. Hence, widely- spread failures were recorded; and extensive vineyards had to be uprooted after a few years growth. It wab only then seen that it was necessary to study beforehand each American variety to discover its qualities and deficiencies, and especially its power of adaptation to different soils. 12 AMERICAN VINES. Many of these failures were attributed to the action of the phylloxera. No doubt many of the American varie- ties cultivated had only a slight degree of resistance; but, with the greater number, the failures (and this has since been proved) were due only to their poor adaptation to the soil.