The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California is first published in 1869 as a weekly newspaper and was founded under the ownership of H.S. Rembaugh & Co. The “company” is Walter Murray, who was also the editor. As there are so many people unable to read English, one or two columns are printed in Spanish. The paper is 28 x 36 inches in size, with seven columns, and four pages. Murray starts the paper after the demise of the San Luis Obispo Pioneer which has a short lifespan. The source of this information is Mrs. Annie L. Morrison in her book published in 1917, History of San Luis Obispo County and Environs, California with Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the County and Environs Who Have Been Identified with the Growth and Development of the Section from the Early Days to the Present.
Introducing the Column for Farmers, Grape Growers and Winemakers- 1870
In the second year of its publication, The Tribune prints a column on the fourth page titled Column for Farmers. A range of topics are discussed from 1870 to 1871. For example: “Cashmere Goats from the East,” “Planting Peach Stones,” and “Meat Curing Establishments.” The column circulates new information in the agricultural world of San Luis Obispo County.
Between the years 1870-1871, the Column for Farmers includes eight articles related to wine. The column twice dedicates entirely to a subject in viticulture. One is about Chilean wine production; the other, printed March 18, 1871, is about planting a vineyard, including information on how to prepare and plant the cuttings for the vineyard.
This column probably interests locals of San Luis Obispo who are in the early stages of planting and propagating vineyards, like Pierre Dallidet and Andrew York.
“Planting A Vineyard” Column From March 1871
The column is broken down into four sections: a) planting vineyards, b) best modes of planting, c) preparation of cuttings, and d) planting the cuttings. It begins by listing the three principal modes of planting vineyards: cuttings, roots, and layers. Each is a different method to obtain and grow grapevines to plant for a new row of a vineyard.
- a) Cuttings are “severed from the original vine and cut into pieces and planted out” where they are to become fruit-bearing vines.
The mode of roots uses cuttings, but they are, “planted close together, to remain until they have formed roots and been converted into young vines”. The difference between the two methods is that the rooted vines will not be transferred to the vineyard for a years’ time.The third and final mode is that of layering, continues the writer, in which the new plants are “not severed from the original vine until separate roots have formed for the young vines.” This section of the column also gives specific detail on how to layout the vineyard for the best possible results.
- b) “The best mode of planting is that of cutting”. According to the article, “it was the mode most widely used in the country” and “believed to be the most direct and economical”. However, there were many different opinions throughout the country on which mode each vineyard owner preferred. It depended on the climate, soil conditions, and the land allotted to the vineyard. Personal preference was also a factor that played into the equation.
- c) The article continues, “The preparation of the cutting also depends heavily on the difference in climate and soil”. Sandy “lively soil” would be the best option to plant the cuttings in”, as the article states, “and needed to be prepared for the cuttings to be placed in.” The length of the cuttings was also a disputed topic. Some claim that three feet long was a good length; others report that 12 to 15 inches was an adequate length. This should be regulated by the character of the soil, a fact the vineyard owner must know in order to plan accordingly for the cuttings. Before placing the cuttings into the soil, an “upper end should be cut off a very little above a good strong bud.” This will cause the sap to flow to free the bud, and “strong vigorous growth” will follow.
- d) The final section of the article gives information on how to plant the cuttings. It again mentions the soil, saying “it needs to be properly prepared”, as mentioned in the previous paragraph. When plowing, the writer states, “the earth should not be turned over. . . any deeper than it had been previously worked” in seasons before. It also gives the advice to plant the cuttings at an angle. Then, the roots “will only start at the extreme lower end.” Planting the roots this way may be advantageous because it will, as the writer states, “cause the roots at the lower end to grow down to where moisture is in the soil.”
Fun Facts
When the Tribune was founded in August 1869, it was hand-printed in Walter Murray’s adobe across the street from Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in downtown San Luis Obispo. The only pricing plan available was a $5 annual subscription. According to the 1870 United States Census, San Luis Obispo County had a population of only 4,772 people.
