UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. „> BULLETIN NO. 68. University Distribution of Seeds, Plants, etc. The books of record of the distribution of seeds, plants, cuttings and scions, for the year 1887 were closed on April 1st. A review of the summary prepared by the clerk in charge of the distribution, reveals some facts which may be of general interest as showing the ex- tent of this branch of the University's work, and th3 popular interest taken in it. Bulletins 61 and 62, describing the material offered for trial, were issued the first week in January. The announcement was given wide circulation by the newspapers of the State, and it soon became apparent that the demand for some kinds of seeds and plants was far greater than the stock which we had been able to prop- agate. This fact shows the wide interest taken in local experimental work in this State, and encourages us to efforts for larger supplies for future offering*. It is, of course, not easy to se- cure al way 8 enough material, because it is de- signed to distribute only novelties which are not yet in the hands of the nurserymen and seedsmen. For example, two varieties of olives obtained through Mr. Pohndortf's importation were multiplied as f ir as the wood available for small cuttings would go, and yet the stock secured was not enough to till half the orders which came ■ in for them. It was much the same with the new varieties of guavas. In the seed distribution most interest per- tains to grasses and forage plants. The im- provement of our pastures and meadows is one of the most important problems in California agriculture. The substitution of perennial graste< for the annuals which are running out 80 fast under close pasturing, the discovery of suitable forage plants for situations where al- falfa does not yield satisfactory results, are matters to which the people generally are wide awake, and our correspondence shows that the University distribution has already placed in the hands of the growers several plauts which will serve an important purpose in minis- tering to these needs. The tabulated statement below show3 that the orders for forage plant seed was several times greater than for other kiuds of seed, and though a large distribution was made, there was over 20 per cent of the orders unfilled because of lack of material. In ail cases orders are en- tered according to the dates, and those first re- ceived are first filled. The offering of seeds and plants by the Col- lege of Agriculture involves a plainly expressed obligation, which is assumed by the applicant, -hat the results of the expariment will be com- municated to us, in order that a wide area of DISTRIBUTED. .(lbs.) 27O 70 380 15 14 15 185 42 224 local experimentation may be in our view, as we endeavor to decide up m the adaptation of any industrial growth to the conditions in this State. We are glad to acknowledge that this obligation is being well discharged by a large proportion of those to whom we have sent materials for experiment. Our report for 1886, which was transmitted to the State printer last December, but which, unfortunately, has not vet been published, will show how active an interest there is in experimentation, how grati- fying a disposition to communicate results, and how important are the facts that have been dis- closed by local experiments. Of course, as the distribution widens and as larger numbers of voluntary observers are enlisted, still more interesting and important results may be ex- pected. Summary of Distribution of 1887. KIND OF PLANT OR SEED. Hessian-Fly proof Wheats: Volo Missoyen , Atlanti " Textiles: Ramie (plants) Esparto Grass (plants) New Zealand Fi&x—P/iormium tenax. Flax: White Flovering from France (lbs.) Royal from Germany " Russian from Pakoft* " Yellow Seeded " Grasses and Forage Plants : Schrader's Brjmz—Brovws unioloides (pkgs.) 142 Millet G -a is— Milium mulHiforum . . . " 63 Japan Clover — Lespedeza striata " 86 Trees and Plants: Kikar or Gum Arabic —Acacia Arabica (trees) 205 Blick Wittle — Acacia decurrens Back Wattle— Packages of Seed Olives — Manzmilio and Nevadillo Gaa.va.s--Psidiutn pomiferum. Cattley- anu/n and arorniticum . . . ; " 201 Insect Powder Plants : Pyrethrum rosjum (pkgs.) 34 Pyrethrum cinzrariefolium " 80 Miscellaneous : Bamboo — Arundinaria fatcata (plants) 78 Qiinoa — Chenopodium quiuoa — Seeds.. (pkgs.) 40 Kaffir Corn ** 61 Cuttings and Scions: Apricots (bundles) 175 Apples " 204 Crab Apples " 79 Pears " 220 Piuius " 313 Mulberries " 193 Vines, Na ive American " 82 Vines, A i itic " 42 Vines, Huaseo Raisin Grape " 139 As the bundles of cuttings and scions aver- age about ten sticks each, there were about .15,000 s^nt out in the course of the distribu- tion. Tne demand fur named scions of stand- ard fruits is evidently larg3 and the University orchard i* serving a most important use. In many cases the scions have been ordered for grafting in orchards to identify varieties of which the names have been lost, and in this way an opportunity for local comparison of fruits, grown under precisely the same condi- tions, is secured. In other cases the scions have baen ssnt for to work over many of the old seedling trees planted in early days when seeds were used in place of young grafted trees which were not then available. The distribution of New Z se who really desire i to experiment with it. O. course the expense of propagation of the seeds and plants is borne by the general funds of the College of Agriculture; applicants are only charged the bare cost of packing and transmission. / It may be remarked that this showing indi- cates the work that has been done in the way of promoting local experimentation in advance of the provision for such effort by the United States, in the Experiment Station law which was passed at the last session. It is expected that when increased funds become available under that law, this work will be proportional- ly advanced, as it is contemplated that each station shall constitute an additional center of (li^"'i>:i* : "v Vj. J Wtorsoy, Berkttry, April 15 l.^s; Influence of the Mode of Fermentatloi on the Color of Wines. It will be remembered that toward the end of the vintage season of 1886, a series of nine fermentations, intended to test the influence of various methods of fermentation upon the re suiting wines, was made at the viticultural laboratory; the material being second crop Ztnf indel grapes furnished by Mr. Gallegos, of Mission San Jose. The first results of these experiments were given in Bulletin No. 63, and more extendedly in the Viticultural Report for 1836, pages 116 to 124. As time progresses the differences between the several products become in some cases much more marked than they were at first; among these the color- changes are especially notable and practically instructive. The table below shows the intensities and tints observed by means of the colorimeter at three different times, the first being immediate- ly after pressing, the date of whioh was between November 7th and 15th. On On On O* OvCn Lrx Ln Ln »3 -E> Qj — O MP OQvl O n a » B to v£ ~ crq n ™ ~°!S <« r+ ft to ->0 n ff S m 9 <§ m »n*. 2; P g 3 n £. 3q 2 ?q O . to ; orq ft & g % § : : : p 5 3 P fl i ' 2 i^? ?: J crq • • . . $ ' to _j 3 - H s o a n 2, *J to 3 CO -U -t- (O'-OOO-fk M MM vj vj vj O 00 vO vj -f^ vj oo^onoo-^oo Percent of Color April 8, 1887. .£4^ On CO h ^ 3" d - t^R o J/J r* i* r 1 r* 1? " ' t* r 1 Tint. It will be noted that of the nine wines, five had at pressing a full amount of color, averag- ing at oat 46 ptr cent of the (assumed) maximum of the scale; while the four others had in the neighborhood of 30 per cent only, the lowest being in the case of the sample fermented with one grated frame (No. 559) that kept the pom- ace submerged in one mass, but was not stirred at all during the fermentation. The nex> lowest was the one in which three frames were used (No. 558); the next to this the one fer- mented at 100 degrees without cover (No. 557) but with frequent stirring; the next, the one treated in by our usual method, with solid floating cover and twice-daily stirring, but at 62 degrees (No. 562) instead of the usual tem- perature of 75°; while the one similarly treated at the latter temperature (No. 561) had the maximum of 47 per cent of color. The influ- ence of a high temperature in securing a rapid and full extraction of color was further shown in the sample similarly fermented at 100 de- grees (No. 556), in which 46 hours sufficed to extract the color fully. A comparison of the samples treated without stirring with those in which stirring was practiced, leaves no doubt of the beneficial influence of "/outage." In the readings of Dec. 20, however, the dif- ferences originally brought about by difference in the temperature of fermentation are already greatly diminished. Nos. 556, 561 and 562, which were fermented respectively at 100, 75 and 62 degrees, now show a difference of only 6 bitween the two first on the one hand and the third on the other. Oa April 8th these three samples have become exactly alike, both in intensity (17) and in tint. It thus appears that the apparent advantage of a high temperature in fermentation, in ex- tracting the color, was only a temporary one, and has cejtsed to manifest itself just about the time that new wines are usually sold. The lit- tle color of the wine made at 62 has maintained itself, having lost only 50 per cent of its original intensity, while the two others suffered an average loss of 63 per cent. It still remains to be shown that the same rule holds good for all red grapes; but it seems defi- nitely proven that in the Zinfandel grape at least no permanent advantage is gained for color by fermenting at a high temperature, un- less some means were found to prevent the loss occurring under ordinary treatment. A very striking point is shown in the case of the two wines in the preparation of which no stirring was practiced, and in which, therefore, we may assume that only the most interior por- tion of the color-bearing layers was extracted at all. Here we have in the case of No. 558, with an original intensity of 30. a decrease to 7.4, or nearly 75 per cent loss. In No. 559, al- though the original intensity was less — 27.8— the color has remained at a better figure— 9.0— doubtless for the reason that the higher tem- perature produced in the thick pomace mass caused the more permanent pigments of the ex- terior layers to be partially extracted. This is also indicated by the tints observed, which in the latter sample lie nearer the purples than in the former. It thus again appears that in the case of Zinfandel wines not subjected to foulage or its equivalent during fermentation, not only is the color extracted less as a whole, but is also of a less permanent character, and lies toward the "reds" of Burgundies rather than the purple-red" tints of the Bordeaux wines. Glancing at the column of intensities ob- served on April 8th, it appears that the maxi- mum of color has b> n preserved by the sample fermented according to the usual practice of the viticultural laboratory, viz. : No. 561, which stands 2.6 points above the highest sample made according to any other method* This sam pie has also preserved more nearly the purple-red Bordeaux tint than any other; those fermented without any cover (Nos. 557 and 560) having on the contrary gone decided- ly farther toward the reds. That this is the tendency of all these samples is obvious from an inspection of the table of tints; and it is in accord with what is known of all red wines and will be amply apparent from a tabular s tatement of our'observations upon a large num ber of wines, soon to be published. It should be remembered that, as stated in a former bulletin, the French color scale runs from simple " purple-red " through five num- bered shades toward " red," and from this again through progressively numbered shades of red to orange, the final stage being the brownish- red color of old port wines. K W TTn.o aud. Herkehj/^ April 15, l$8T<