Nebraska advertiser., 1862-01-02
NO. 26.
From the Ohio Cultivator.l
Grape Culture In Northern Ohio.
Vineyards on Sandy Soil IN CttyahogO
and Lake CoEnties-.Y .Yotes ca .Nsg
Grapes,

So much has been said respecting
the extent and success Of the vine
yards at Kellys Island, that some
persons may have concluded that the
limestone elayey soil of that region
(and of Cincinnati) is the only kind
upon which grapes can be successfully
grown. 1t is undoubtedly true that
the lake atmosphere has very bene4
fetal influence in preventing frost and
the rotting of the fruit, bat from whas
1 have seen, l am led to believe that
many localities along lake shore will
be found nearl y or quite as favorable
for vineyards, and in some respects.
the sandy soils which predominats
eastward of Erie county may be found
more suitable for this purpose than the
heavier lands of the limestone districts.
While spending few days in Guy
ahoga and Lake counties the first Of
the past month, visited a number Of
vineyards and gardens, and was pres
ent at the county fairs in both coun-
ties, and nowhere have l ever seen
more abundant crops of the finest
grapes than was here exhibited. At
the fair at Cleveland, especially, the
'atawbas and Isabellas were finer and
more abundant than I ever before
witnessed and the Catawbas grown
in that vicinity were finer than those
exhibited there from the Island, by
Mr. Kelly. 1t is true that all the
samples of this variety were somewhat
deficient in flavor, at that time, owing
to the lack Of sunny weather to impars
perfect Tipeness, but this was as per-
ceptible in the Island fruit as the
others, and as no frost occurred for
some weeks afterwards, / presumed
that all ripened well before the gen.
eral gathering.
The largest and most promising
vineyard that I visited, is owned By
DR.. Pierre Mathirets, near Collamer,
a few miles east of Cleveland. 1t
consists Of six or eight acres of Cataw-
ba vines in full bearing. DR.. NJ. has
a good wine cellar, and was busily
preparing his casks, ect., for 6oun.
teous vintage The next was that Of
Col. Colt, of Euclid. This is not quite
as we'll managed as the preceding, and
the fruit was not as we'll matured. II
also has a considerable mixture OF
varieties, some Of which are the seed
iings Of the foxy order, and Of not
much value. The vineyard Of DR..
Ensign and Son, at Madison in Lake
county, is also quite successful; it.
embraces both Catawbas and Isabellas.
At the end of Fairs at Paiasyille
and Cleveland, l observed apparently
two varieties of Isabella; the one
with berry of medium size, and oval
form, as usually seen; the other OF
larger size, round berry, and more
musky odor. I measured some OF
these berries at Paineville almost three
inches in circumference, and should at
once have declared they could not be
Isabella, if had not seen specimens
from different localities exhibiting such
diversity of size, shape and order, as
to lead me to suspect that the soil and
culture, or the season, had, perhaps,
produced the result. Still, I would
suggest the inquiry whether there are
not one or more seeding varieties Of
the Isabella in those regions.
The Taylor or Bullet Grape, (of
KY as shown to me by DR.. Taylor
Of Cleveland, does not seem to merit
the praise that has been bestowed on
it at the East. The berries are small
and quite too stony for the safety Of
teeth, while the flavor is no better, to
say the least, than several other light
GoloFed varieties, which arc superior
to il in many respects.
The Lydia, (Seedling of Charles
Carpenter as exhibited this season.
does not seem to improve in size or
favor as much as was expressed, and,
as compared with Cuyahoga and Re-
becca, will hardly gain much popular
ity.
The Cayakoga I found in fine cou-
dition on the large vine Of 8Ir. Vim
pie, near Collamer, and the appear,
ance of the vine as well as the quality
Of the fruit, gave me a more favorable
impression of this variety than I for-
merly had. / an now Of the opinion,
that, all things considered, it IS. the
best native light colored grape as vet
known, and hence, deserving Of gen
eral cultivation.
N. B. BATEnAM.
NOTE.-We have waited for solae
time for professional opinion of that
grape show at the Cleveland County
Fair. It took our eye as being the
most snowy display We have seen IN
the last twelve years travel among tho
fairs The Isabellas we're en9rm5us.
and for once outdid any Of the pie
lures made to sell new grapes and
grape fanciers.-ED, FIELD NoTEs.