_Location and Acreage._--The district is situated north of San Francisco
Bay, bordering on it as well as on the Sacramento river, and is a part
of the Sacramento valley. The number of acres overreaches seven
thousand, and is increasing yearly. The principal vineyards are those of
the late G. G. Briggs at Davisville, Solano county, with three hundred
acres, and at Woodland in Yolo county, four hundred and sixty acres; E.
Gould, also at Davisville, two hundred acres; H. M. Larou, at same
place, about fifty acres; sundry vineyards around Davisville, fifty
acres; around Woodland and Capay valley, some four hundred acres;--or in
full bearing more than two thousand acres. The district comprises the
southern part of Yolo and the northern part of Solano counties. The
grape used for raisins is principally the Muscat of Alexandria, except
the vineyard of R. B. Blowers, which is composed exclusively of Gordo
Blanco. The Muscat of Alexandria is generally preferred, as it makes a
fine raisin and bears well.
_Soil and Climate._--The soil varies somewhat; the best is a deep gray,
alluvial bottom-land soil; other soils are not much thought of for
Muscatel raisin grapes. The average depth of water is about eighteen
feet from the surface. It is not necessary, as a rule, to first level
the land, as the ground is very level naturally. The rainfall averages
thirteen inches. The most rain falls in January and February; the least
falls in August. There is seldom a shower in the summer, but about
November 1st rains are almost always certain to interfere with the
drying of the grapes. Sometimes the rain comes in October, when it
causes considerable damage to the grapes and partially dried raisins.
There is very little dew in summer time, but plenty in October and also
some in September. The temperature is considerably modified by the
nearness of the bay. It reaches in the hottest part of the summer one
hundred and fourteen degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, but only for a day
or two. The average highest is about ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the
shade, while the heat almost every day in July and August shows
eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. Thus this district is
considerably cooler than the San Joaquin valley and San Bernardino
county, but warmer than Los Angeles and San Diego districts. There are
heavy frosts in winter, when at times even the thermometer falls to
eighteen degrees Fahrenheit, although this is the extreme low
temperature, six or seven degrees of frost being more common. There is
spring frost in April one year in every three or four, and the vineyards
are then smoked to prevent injury to the vines. Irrigation is not needed
to produce crops, only to produce larger crops, as it increases the
yield fifty per cent. Generally two irrigations a year are needed, the
first one in early summer, the other later, when the berries have begun
to ripen. Water from ditches is used and carried to the vines in furrows
only, no flooding being practiced.
_The Vineyard._--In planting, cuttings are used principally, but rooted
vines are preferred by some. The distances most common are ten by ten
feet each way, one vineyard being set ten feet by sixteen feet. The
vines bear the third year. The ground is plowed and cross-plowed, the
first plowing being from the vines, and the second to the vines.
Harrowing and cultivating both ways are secondary operations, continued
to the middle of May, but seldom later. Hoeing the vines finishes the
work of the soil in the middle or end of May.
In pruning, the crowns are never raised over six inches above the
ground, from seven to eight spurs are left on large vines, and each spur
is pruned to two or three eyes each. Formerly more eyes, say from four
to five, were left on each cane, but it was found that this was too
many, hence the change to two or three eyes. Summer pruning is practiced
by some, but not by all; there is yet a controversy in regard to its
usefulness. When practiced, the vines are cut six or eight inches from
the tops, and this is done not later than June. Sulphuring is in use
everywhere; the vines are sulphured two times, once before and once
after the bloom. Sulphured vines do not suffer from mildew. Colure, or
the dropping of the young berries, is not common, the Muscat of
Alexandria even setting well. The leaf-hopper (_Erythroneura comes_) is
more common in some years than in others. They eat the leaves and cause
the grapes to sunburn. Grasshoppers have never caused any damage. Grape
moths are more or less common, but never troublesome. Black-knot is
often seen on neglected vines, but is rare in old vineyards well cared
for.
_The Crop._--The grapes ripen in September, generally from the first to
the tenth. The drying and curing occupies three weeks. The bunches are
placed on trays made of pine two feet by three. Several growers have
artificial dryers, which are needed for curing the second crop. The
sweatboxes are large enough to contain seventy pounds of raisins, and
are eight inches deep. In the Briggs raisin vineyard, the following
brands are packed: three crown Layer Muscatels; two crown Layer
Muscatels; one and two crown Loose Muscatels; Dehesas and Seedless
Muscatels. The raisins are seldom sold in sweatboxes, and no fixed price
is known for such raisins. Most growers pack their own raisins. The
oldest raisin vineyard is that started by the late G. G. Briggs, and now
owned by his widow. The most renowned vineyard was that owned by R. B.
Blowers of Woodland, which has of late years been mostly replaced by
other crops. Raisin land can be had for from one hundred to one hundred
and fifty dollars per acre. This is vacant land of the very best
quality. An average profit of fifty dollars per acre is realized,
although some have made more money out of their vines. A yield of two or
three tons of grapes per acre is common. As regards prices of labor,
etc., the following were those most common last season: Man and team,
who boards himself and animals, three dollars and twenty-five cents per
day, can plow one and a half acres of vineyard well. Pruning, one man,
one dollar per day, can prune three hundred vines, or three-fourths of
an acre. Laborers generally board themselves. The raisins of this
district were the first ones in the State or on this continent to
attract attention, and they were the first which successfully competed
with Spain. The crop of 1889 reached one hundred and twenty thousand
boxes.