Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-04-30
Cuyahoga Grape and Wine Growers


Cuyahoga Grape and Wine Growers
Association.
The third NEE inc Of this Society was
held on Saturday. the 18th inst, in CIeve-
land. The Secretary presented the Ad-
dress Of the President Of the American
Wine Growers Association at CINCINNATI,
on the subject of taxing wine and vine
yards, and stated that the same had been
forwarded with a request that this Society
send to Washington a remOnstrance on the
subject. DR.. Mathive'. the Chairman of
the Committee. to whom the matter was
referred, said they had already written to
members at Washington, giving the views
of this Society. and the same, he doubted
not, would be duly presented. The en-
rollment Of names of membership was
next in order, and quite a large number of
names were cntcred-many from outside
the county. 1t may be well here to say
that any person interested in the sulj"c.
can le,ome a member, whether out of the
county or not.
The subject for discussion was then
brought up, viz:
THE BEST SOIL FOR grapes.
Capt. Stewart regards u clay gravel as
one Of the best, it not the best soil for the
grape. On sandy ridges the fruit is moi as
good as on clay. and he more strongly the
clay is ~impregnatcd with lime the better.
DIR. Mathivet regarded lines one soil as
the best, but has no doub: that good wine
can be ~proftably grown on sandy soil. At
present, his vineyards are all on sandy soil,
and his best fruit is on that portion that is
the highest and dryest. In such soil, how
ever, he always manures well. with we'll
rOtted bam-yard manure as a mulch, when
planting out.
Mr.. Elliott considered light, sandy soil
as the poorest of all soils for producing
good wine from any of our strong growing
grapes. such as Cattawba. The stronger
and sitter the soil the better the fruit
Among other reasons, are that such soils
are generally naturally richer in the CON-
pOnents of the grape. and when once warm
ed by the summers heat, they retain
warmth Inter into the fall, and thus assists
the perfection of fruit.
Capt. Stewart thought the blue clay IN
DERIVING our soils about tleveland a good
fertilizer for our sandy soils; it has much
lime 10 it, and he believed it should be
more used; thinks Prof. Cassclls analysed
it, some years since. with results warrant
ing this statement.
Mr. Porter said it had been used, and
found very durable and beneficial.
Mr.. Elliott thought there was some er-
ror doubted the value of the blue strata
underlying IN and around Cleveland.
Mr.. Porter said there was a small vine
yard of fve-eights of an acre, on the Kings
bury road, the surface a sandy clay loan,
with a clay sub-soil; and the yield from it
when seven years old, was three tons, OIL
at the rate of about five tons to an acre
His own vineyard was on a side hill, and
part on clay, and part on sand; gets the
best and most grapes on clay.
Mr.. Elliott had examined vineyard:
where the rows ran through different soils,
as clay, gravelly loan and sand, and found
the clay best. the gravel next.
Mr.. Schneider considers those OF his vine
yard on the clay. with a slight mixture Of
sand, as better than those on sand; were
better favored in the stiff soil. He trench
e his vineyard three feet deep, placing the
top, which was a stiff clay, at the bottom.
Mr.. Porter knew a vineyard where the
grapes were of the best quality on sand,
with a hard pan two feet underneath
They were Catawbas. What influence the
clay had he was not prepared to say.
Mr.. Conway had examined many vine
yards around Sandusky and on Kelley's Is
land, and felt be could say that those on
sandy soil around Sandusky were superior
to those on the Island. They were appa-
rtntly the best grapes but could not state
as 60 their value for wine purposes. Thinks
there is a large proportion of lime in the
soil He Ieferre1 to . vineyard of Mr.. E.
Upy, and where the underlay of limestone
was probably some ten or moro feet below
the soil. Said the grapes were larger, less
small ones among the vines, and bore more
in quantity than Oh the Island.
Mr.. W. j. Gordon having asked some
questions respecting the
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.
Capt. Stewart said he would pillow twen-
ty-six inches deep, but twenty inches would
answer. Would not care to break sandy
soil as deep as clay, but thinks the roots
should be deep.
Mr.. SaxtOn said that in digging up som
Clinton grapes, be found a majority of the
roots we're not over one foot deep.
Mr.. Elliott did not think the grape, as a
general thing, fed from its lower roofs