Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-27
tFrom the Marietta Register, Feb. %, lS05l
grapes that are Grapes!--AH
Creation Challenged

C. " slrppxS OF poSroS O., ruE PRODUCER. II
This article was prepared by the Editor b
Of this paper aud published in the Register, {
two years ago. Many extra papers contain
ing this account Of the most remarkable r
grapes we ever heard of, were then sold v
and since that We have often been called a
upon for ''one Of those old papers contain :
ing that grape article" A few days ago we
had \ call for dozen, bat the supply was
long since exhausted. Some OF our friends
will thsnk US for publishing it, which we
do with briot postscript.
The following facts-for they are
facts-in reference to the production
of grapes, are 80 extraordinary that,
did we not know that whereof we write,
we should be tempted to exclaim, "Lord
help thou mine unbeliefw But If
"seeing is believing" them do we believe,
for there i. no ''sleight-o hand" in this
business,n mo "Will o Wisp," but simple
facts in relation to grape production, of
which we give an ''unvarnishedi tale"
G. NJ. Glidden, the producer, is citi
zen of Ironton, Lawrence county, living
upon small lot in about the ceatre of
the town. We were his neighbor for
several years previous to our removal
to Marietta, last June; and his produc
ton of grapes came under our person
al observation. His lot is 102 by GO feet,
heavy clay soil Of theOhio river bottom;
and there is upon this two story brick
dwelling house, with an Sll, to which
is attached wood shed and coal
house, summer kitchen, besides wash
house separated; also their is upon the
lot en- open space for drying clothes,
many square yards Of brick pavement,
two walks of sawed stone; and until
quite recently there stood upon it four
OF the finest bearing peach trees and an
apple tree. How much space for a
"vineyardw
The vineyard contains less than eight
square rods of ground, but the vines
run run upon an arbor over the pave
msnts, over his wood house and kitchen,
upon the sides and ends Of the house,
but do not run outside Of the 10! !
Mr.. Glidden says that his vines are
partly Isabella and partly Catawba
but the vines run close together, and
under his cultivation, we are not enough
of Judge to tell "tother from which .
About the last Of August, 1858, the
Ohio Farmer, at Cleveland, had let
ter from Clermont county, stating, a:
something uncommon, that lady there
had Catawba vine running upon hei
house, which had upon it that summer
"l67 punches Of grapes, all sound" y
The Mahoning Co. Register beat tina
statement, a Mr.. Simon having an Isa
bella vine with upon it "274 bunches o
large size" one bunch containing 81
grapes" To beat this last, two gentle
men went to Mr.. Gldden's young vim
in Ironton, and on an Isabella, traine
on the northeastly side Of his house
counted 1,0l9 punches of grapes
They then became tired Of counting
and saying that they "already had NOR
than anybody would believe" quit
But we preferred to publish "the whol
story" In our Ironton Register, an
took measures to ascertain the exaC
number, and that vine had upon it |
229 bunches
At that same time, Mr.. Glidden ha
another vine only year old the pre-
ceding Spring, trained upon an arbo
and it had upon it 4OS punches OF YER
fine grapes.
Not en- unsound or specked crap
could be found No visitor ever ca
find an unsound grape or defectiv
leaf upon vine of Mr.. Gldden's unit
he has gathered the crop!
In 1859, Mr. Glidden offered ''S5C
challenge to everybody everywhere
produce crop Of grapes from I'll
same numberof vines, of the same ag
that will beat mine In the number
bunches, perfection OF grapes, free
rot, speck or green ones" the persc
beating his to receive $500 from hir
or il beaten to forfeit $500 to him. III
challenge was published in the Irontc
Register, in the Ohio Farmer and
other paper, but no one accepted it.
The vine (then four years old) tn
the year before produced l,22o bunc
es, then had on it l,543 punches
And four vines, two years old Il
preceding Spring had on them 2,5'
punches, and made 80 gallans of S
perior wine .#..e
In all, Mr.. Glidden had 10 bsaril
vines which made 70 gallons of the be
OF "natlve wine y besides grapes u.s.
otherwise that would have made fl
gallons more.
In March, 1850, Mr. Glidden set o
an Isabella slip. The first season the
grew from it two punches. about &
feet long each. In the second seas
f(1s60, he trained off branches frt
these, and grew = total length Of
feet OF wood The longest branch "
40 feet and inches in length, the sho
est II feet and inches, In the tn
season, (lS61, Mr., Glidden Offer
el00 to any one who would count,
there were not nearer,4 900 branches
grapes on that vine, than $500. I
real number was over $500 bunch
In 1851, the vine on the northeast
ly end Of his house, which produ'
1928 punches in 1858, and l,548
lS59--how many in 1860, we do
know, but the yield was tremendou
this same vine In 1861, made 43 gall'
of wine, which Mr., Gliddcn sold
SS6 exclusive Of casks