UNIVEESITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 BUL.L.UT1X XO. 34. 
 
 [In order to render the results of investigations 
 and experiments conducted by the Agricultural De- 
 partment of the University of California more quick- 
 ly and more generally available than has heretofore 
 been done through the annual or biennial reports, 
 it is proposed to embody hereafter, in the form of 
 "Bulletins," to be issued as often as may seem de- 
 sirable, reports of results, as well as such other discus- 
 sions, information or answers to questions as may 
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 bulletins, as a rule, short enough for insertion in the 
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 ing therefor. The substance ot these bulletins are 
 ultimately be embodied in a more complete and con- 
 nected form, in the annual reports of the College oi 
 Agriculture.] 
 
 Examinations of Grape-growing Soils. 
 
 No. 727. — Sand-hill soil, from a tract near 
 "Fancher Creek Nursery," about 7 miles south- 
 east from Fresno city. Sent by Dr. Gustav 
 Eisen, of Fresno. This is a representative sam- 
 ple of the soil of the higher "sand-hill" ridges 
 which traverse the Fresno country irregularly, 
 mostly in a northeast and southwest direction. 
 They are but slightly elevated above the gen- 
 eral level of the country, and frequently with- 
 out any obvious relation to the present drain- 
 age; their sandy soil passes by gradations into 
 the "brown adobe" -bordering the foothill 
 streams, or into the reddish, light loam of the 
 country inland. In some cases their material 
 was originally so loose as to be blown about by 
 the wind. Their vegetation was the usual one 
 of dry lands in the San Joaquin valley, viz. : In 
 spring, more or less of the bright flora of gilias 
 and dwarf sunflowers {Baeria chrysostoma), and j 
 during the dry season the drouth-resisting tur- 
 key-weed (Mremocarpus seligerus) and the blue 
 camphor-weed (Trichostema lanceolafum), with 
 a few others. Since irrigation has become gen- 
 eral, and the land has filled up with water, the 
 deep, pervious soil of the sand-hills has followed 
 the general example of the plain in growing up 
 into tall weeds, such as the pig- weed {Erigeron 
 Canadense), cockle-bur (Xanthium atrumarium 
 and spinosum), suuflower (Helianthm Calif or- 
 nicus), and others. This rank growth has en- 
 couraged the settlement of sand-hill tracts, pre- 
 viously supposed to be too poor for profitable 
 cultivation, until at present large areas of such 
 soil are occupied by flourishing colonies, e. </., 
 the Scandinavian. The question now arises, 
 how durable the productiveness of this soil is 
 likely to be. 
 
 The sample sent by Dr. Eisen is very sandy 
 and unpromising-looking — probably the ex- 
 treme of its kind. It was taken oo the depth of 
 12 inches. The whole of it passes through the 
 sieve of 1 50 inch meshes — a fine, grayish-yellow 
 'sand, with black particles (which are mainly 
 j hornblende), while the white portion is a mix- 
 ture of angular quartz, feldspar, and glassy par- 
 ticles of pumice-like aspect under the micro- 
 scope — a material of which considerable beds 
 are found on King's river where it issues from 
 its canyon in the Sierra. On moistening it 
 scarcely becomes adhesive. 
 
 The chemical analysis resulted as follows: 
 
 FKKSS'O 
 HAND-HILL BOIL. 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 IIOMOCIIITTO 
 BOTTOM MOIL. 
 MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 J-90.11 
 
 91.97 
 
 .19 
 
 .15 
 
 .33 
 
 .04 
 
 .99 
 
 .12 
 
 .78 
 
 .21 
 
 .06 
 
 .28 
 
 3.20 
 
 1.18 
 
 3.13 
 
 3.27 
 
 .02 
 
 0.08 
 
 .04 
 
 0.06 
 
 1.53 
 
 2.70 
 
 100.43 
 
 100.05 
 
 .43 
 
 
 .60 
 
 
 1.21 
 
 4.05 
 
 Potash 
 
 Soda 
 
 Lime 
 
 Magnesia 
 
 Br. Oxide of Manganese 
 
 Peroxide of Iron 
 
 Alumina 
 
 Phosphoric Acid 
 
 Sulphuric Acid 
 
 Water and Organic Matter 
 
 Total 
 
 Humus 
 
 Available Inorganic 
 
 Hygroscop Moisture 
 
 Absorbed at 12° C 8* C 
 
 It cannot be expected that in a soil contain- 
 ing 90 per cent of inert sand, large percentages 
 of plant food should be found; and if the figures 
 in the above table referred to a clay soil, or to a 
 sandy soil of little depth, little could be said 
 for it. But when such sandy material is from 
 6 to 10 feet and more in depth, and roots can 
 penetrate it as fast as they can grow, the case 
 assumes a different aspect, since in that case 
 the plant can and does utilize as a source of 
 nourishment not (as is the case in close soils), 
 12 to 20 inches, but from 3 to 8 feet, as is I 
 shown by inspection. To obtain the proper 
 comparison with a clay soil, therefore, we 
 should multiply the figures in the table by 3 or 
 4, which will give respectable percentages of 
 all, and a very high one especially of lime. By 
 way of illustration, the analysis of a soil some- 
 what similarly circumstanced in the State of 
 Mississippi, and noted for its high production of 
 cotton for many years, is placed alongside. The 
 sand hill soil is eminently a calcareous one. and 
 as such its plant food is in a highly available 
 condition. At the same time, the high figures 
 for soda and sulphuric acid show the presence 
 of some alkali, viz.: Glauber's salt, which is, 
 with the lime, perceptible in the well waters of 
 the region. Here also, however, phosphoric 
 acid is relatively the lowest in supply, and will 
 be first needed when fertilizers are called for by 
 the falliug-off of production. At the same 
 
time, the increase of the humus or vegetable 
 matter of the soil should be favored in every 
 possible way, since in so pervious a soil with 
 so much lime, the supply M ,m, under tillage, 
 rapidly decrease in so hot a climate. 
 
 One point needs mention in this connection, 
 viz. : the rapid rise of the bottom-water level 
 that has lately occurred from the multiplication 
 of irrigation ditches without any corresponding 
 arrangements for drainage. Of course roots 
 cannot penetrate beyond the water level, and 
 will not ordinarily exercise their functions even 
 very close to it. When, therefore, the water 
 is found iu the bottom of fence-post holes, as is 
 now the case in some fields of such soil, the 
 available depth of soil is correspondingly re- 
 duced, just as though the bedrock were found 
 at the same depth. When this happens in the 
 case of such deep-feeding plants as the vine, it 
 is simply ruinous, and if it does not result in 
 the death of the vine, must greatly reduce both 
 the quantity and quality of its product. This 
 is a growing evil which even now sorely afflicts 
 some vineyards, whose owners have never 
 ceased to imagine that the one thing needful for 
 success in that region is plenty of water, and 
 that there cannot be too much of a good thing. 
 
 No. 799. Valley soil, taken on a creek head- 
 ing near Nun's canyon, on Oakville and (Jlen 
 Ellen road, Napa countv.* The valley is a 
 narrow one, of a briskly flowing stream on the 
 Napa side of the divide. It is not under culti- 
 vation near the point where the sumple was 
 taken, but the spot is remarkable for the luxu- 
 riant growth of wild grape vineu, which cover 
 not only the bottom but run up high on the 
 hillsides. The opportunity seemed a good one 
 for ascertaining just what kind of soil the Cali- 
 fornia wild vine delights in, thus giving a clue 
 to the proper selection of soils on which it is to 
 form the stocks. There is apparently little 
 change in the soil for twelve or eighteen inches; 
 it is of a gray tint, stiffish and bakes very hard 
 
 when dry, untitled; a light adobe or clay loam. 
 For want of tools for digging, the soil was taken 
 to the depth of eight inches only. It contains 
 no coarse material save a fragment of slate here 
 and there. Its analysis resulted as follows: 
 
 VALLEY SOIL, 80N0:iA MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Insoluble Matter 63 55 ) 
 
 Soluble Silica 5 " 54 [69.09 
 
 Potash 1-66 
 
 Soda 22 
 
 LtaM '.60 
 
 Magnesia j 94 
 
 Br. Oxide of Manganese ]i\ 
 
 Peroxide of Iron 4^51 
 
 Alumina 13.71 
 
 Phosphoric Acid .17 
 
 Sulphuric Acid . .07 
 
 Water and Organic Matter 7.63 
 
 Total 99.55 
 
 Humus 2.16 
 
 Available Inorganic .49 
 
 Hygroicop. Moist ure 7 . 78 
 
 Absorbed at 15° C 
 
 The analysis shows good cause for the prefer- 
 ence of the vine for this soil, which i« an unusu- 
 ally rich one in all the elements of plant food. 
 Its potash percentage is the highest thus far ob- 
 served in California, outside of alkali lands. Its 
 supply of lime is not unusually large, but still 
 abundant: its phosphoric acid percentage is 
 among the highest thus far found in the State, 
 as is, outside of Marsh soils, that of humus. In 
 fact, any plant whatsoever might be well 
 pleased with such a soil: and the facts show 
 that the native vine can be a rank feeder when 
 opportunity is offered. These vines seemed to 
 be young and had little fruit set; but whether 
 the latter point was an accident of the season, 
 or whether the soil is too rich for full bearing, 
 requires farther observation to determine. If 
 the latter be true, the remedy in such cases 
 w<<uld lie in the use of lime around the vines. 
 
 *On the occasion of a tour of observation, made under 
 the auspices of the Viticultural Commission, Oct., 1884. 
 
 E. W. HlLGARD. 
 
 t