Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-02-05
From the Marietta Register.
GRAPES THAT ARE GRAPESl
ALL CREATION cHALLEKGEp


~ PRoDUCER. -f u.
J. The following facts--for they arc fact
!. in reference to the production Of grape.
Z are SO extraordinary that, did We nc
y know that whereof we write, we shoul
4 be tempted to exclaim, "Lord, bel
4 thou mine unbelief?" But il "seein,
: is believing" then do zoe 6elieve, 70
there is no "sleight-o'-band" in this bu
= siness, no "Will O. Wisp," but simpl
facts in relation to grape production. o
| which we give an "unvarnished tale. >
? O. NJ. Glidden, the producer, is I
; citizen of Ironton, Lawrence county
! living upon small lot in about the cen.
. tire of the town. We were his neigh.
Dor for several years previous to our
removal to Marietta, last June; and his
! production of grapes came under our
personal observation. His lot is 109
by Sc feet, heavy clay soil Of the Ohio
river bottom; and there is upon it his
two story brick dwelling house, with an
ell, to which is attached a wood shed
and coal house, summer kitchen, be-
sides wash house separate; also there
is upon the lot an open space for drying
clothes, many square yards Of brick
pavement, two walks OF sawed stone:
and until quite recently there stood up
on 1t four Of the finest bearing peach
trees and an apple tree. How much
space for "vineyardl"
The vineyard contains less than eight
square rods Of ground, bat the vines
runt-run upon an arbor over the pave
ments, over his wood house and kitchen,
upon the sides and euds of the house,
but do not run outside of the lott
Mr.. Glidden says that his vines are
partly Isabella and partly CstaEba; but
the vines run close together, and, under
his cultivation, we are not enough Of q
judge to tell "t'other from which,"
About the last of August. 1853, the
Ohio Farmer, at Cleveland, had let
ter from Clermont county, stating, as
something uncommon. that q lady there
had Cstswbs vine running upon her
house, which had upon it that summer,
"l67 lunches Of grapes, all sound"
The Maboning Co. Register beat that
statement, a Mr.. Simon having an lsa-
bella vine with upon it "274 lunches
of large size," one bunch containing
86 grapes" To beat this last. two gen.
tlemen went to Mr.. Glidden's young
vines in Ironton, and on an Isabella.
trained on the northeasterly side Of his
house, counted .Ol9 punches of grapes.
They then became tired Of counting.
and saying that they "already had
more than anybody would believe"
quit. But we preferred TO publish "the
whole story" in our IrOnton Register. !
and took measures to ascertain the eI-
act number. and that vine had upon it |
,929 bunchesl r .
At the same time, Mr.. Glidden had
another vine only year old the prece-
ding spring. trained upon an srbor, and
it had upon It 4O8 punches Of very fine
grapes. sr.r ..
Not an unsound or specked grape |
could be found. No visitor ever can
find an unsound grape or a defective
leaf upon a vine Of Mr.. Glidden's un-
til he has gathered the cropl
In 1859, Mr.. Glidden offered Q
$500 challenge TO everybody every
where" to ''produce a crop Of grspes
from the same number OF vines, of the
same age. that will beat mine in the
number of punches, perfection OF grapes,
free of rot, speck or green ones;" the
person beating his TO receive $500 from
him, or If beaten to forfeit $500 10 him.
The challenge was published in the
Ironton Register, in the Ohio Farmer,
and in other papers, but no one accept
ed it. a.ll .a .--r a.E
The vine (then four years old that
the year before produced ,2s6 punches,
then had on it ! ,543 buuchesl le
And four vines, two years old the
preceding Spring. had on them 1855
lunches, and made 80 gallons of-supe-
rior winel e f..H re .a.iI
In al, Mr.. Glidden had 10 bearing
vines which made 20 gallons Of the
best of ''native wine;" besides grapes
used otherwise that would have made
FIVE gallons more. at
In March, 1859, Mr.. GIidden set out
an Isabella slip. The first seaso1 there
grew from It two branches about six
feet long each. In the second season
(l86O), be trained of branches from
these, and grew a total length Of 564
feet OF woodl The longest branch was
40 feet and 8 inches in length, the
shortest IA feet and inches. In the
third season, (186f). Mr.. Glidden Of
fered 500 to any one who would count,
il there were not nearer 4, 900 punches
Of grapes on that vine, than $780,
The resl number was over $500 bunch
esl F-s's i5sa1 e1 ifarl
In 1851, the vine on the northeaster-
ly end of his house, which produced
1899 bunches in 1855, and I,54S In
1859-bow many in 1850, we do not
know, but the yield was tremendous--
this same vine In 1851, made 43 gal.
Ions Of wine, which Mr.. Glidden sold
for $50 exclusive of caskslil g2 500
That season, (i861.) be made ass
gallons Of wine from his eight square
rods of ground. N sra a
In the Spring of 1859, we were
boarding in Mr.. Glidden's family. He
was not very aloud" in regard to his
grape prospects. He "didn't think be
should have more than half crops"
thara noe de- poor ebo..- e. ---.--a,, .,