Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-28
OHIO GRAPES AND WINES.
Model County Fair-Remarkabl
Display of Grapes and Wines-Ex
tent Of the Grape Trade-AB Big Fish
story.

49,
, the visitors were positive bores, M SO
IT from being creditable to their respec-
We location, were totally destitute OF
alue from the msagreness of their exhl-
and the apathy Of the people In re-
pect to sustaining them. lam glad to re-
ord an exception to this too general rule
be able to give Erie county, Ohio, the
redit Of having just closed a Fair hat
vas both well attended and generously
ustained. The display in all respects was
God, but particularly 50 in the grapes
nd wines the staples of this region. Inc
exhibition of grapes was truly magnificent
md received the hearty encomiums oil
hose who had come from all over the
country for the express purpose OF attendI
ng the exhibition and comparing notes
lpon grape culture and wine manufac-
.ure, the county Fair being consolidated
or exhibition pufpos6s with the North
arm Ohio Grape Growers Association
The staple varieties of grapes grown here
IRE the Catawbas and the ~Isabellas, al
though the culture is by no means con-
fined to these, as may be known when l
state that exhibitor had over eighty
varieties of grapes upon the tables, while
others exhibited thirty and forty varieties
each. The extent of the grape culture in
this region is something Wonderful cohsid-
its recent growth, and l propose to
YOU some facts regarding this.
Experimenting with grapes commenced
here about fifteen years ago, but the busl-
ness. as a business, dates from about eight
wears ago. In that time so much prog
ress has been made that there are now
over five hundred acres in vineyards
upon the Islands in this portion Of Lake
Erie, and upon the Lake shore within d
distance of three miles from Sandnsky.
The warming influence of the water keeps
the frost away until long after it has MP
ned the vines in Southern Ohio, so thai
while the vintage of the Ohio river grapes
closes with the month of September, it Is
here just commencing and will last into
November. Messrs. Smith and Parsons
who are among the present growers ano
manufacturers of wine, will commenc'
picking their Isabellas o the 25th instant
and the Catawbas a week later. l am IN
debted to Mr.. Parsons for many statistic
and facts of interest regarding the crap
trade, and it is worth ones while to wall
through the wine cellars of this firm an'
| Others. where, in q long successiOnOf casks
holding from 500 to 900 each, Is store
| the rich, red and pure juice of the grape
OF the five hundred and thirty od'
acrss of grapes hereabouts, one gentlemal
has A VINEYARD of sixty-twO acres, Will
others vary from the modest plot of
single acre to those of thirty and fort
acres. The average yield Of grapes is tw
(2) tons to the acre, yielding a net prom
over and above expenses Of about $50
per acre, which should satisfy the mos
usurious land-holder. OF this %productio
of one thousand tons and over
is estimated that one third ar
used for table use, leaving about seye
hundred (7OO) tons for wine. Allowin
twelve pounds of grapes for a gallon
wine, this would give nearly one hundre'
and seventeen thousand. gallons of win
from this region, or about two thousan
nine hundred barrels. A large part
this however, is manufactured abroad, tn
grapes being purchased and shipped t
Cleveland, Cincinnati, st. Louis &c, an
pressed there. The price of Isabellas an
Catawbas is now about five and seve
cents respectively, and tits expected thatthi
price will be reduced to three andti cent
in a few days, these being wholesale price
of course. Heretofore the producers hav
generally sold the grapes from the vine
but many of them are adopting improve
portable mills and preserving the julc
themselves. New inventions are comm
into use to ecOnomize and facilitate tn
wine manufacture. Among others is a
apparatus which l saw in operation 6
Hosmer's for separating the grapes frol
the stems, which it does clearly an
thoroughly. In spite of the increase
home manufacture, however, the expires
companies are shipping an average OF 81
tons of grapes per day
The grape trade of this country is "
in its infancy, Notwithstanding these iarg
figures. But it has already done a goo
work for Sandusky. Land which te
wears p could be purchased for $50 c
$50 per acre, are now hard to get at frol
5000 to $500, and each coming year WI
see a larger increase Of the vineyard.
But grapes are not Sanduskys so
dependence. Her fish trade is in
mense and constantly growing
The amount of white fish, musca
longe, black bass and pickeral which
received and shipped from here is immens
The shipments last year amounted to ov'
$500, 900, and this year will be muc
larger. Stretching from island to islant
until they nearly form a net work aero
the lake, are the "poundsn of the fishe
men, which consist of an encircling 70
of stakes driven into the bottom of Il
lake, forming traps into which the III
wary fish, once beguiled, can escaI
until they are hauled to the surface an
tumbled, with many q cOntortion al
founder. into the hold of the boats whic
make daily visits to their respective ifs
ing grounds. On reaching the shore Il
fish are packed into barrels, each of whiC
has a large achunk" Of ice, the barrel
headed up and the express car takes the
while yet cold and fresh, all through OH
and Indiana. Years ago, before the fsherma
had so widely extended forth his nets al
his business, the standard price for viii
fish was Gthree for a quarter (the fl:
weighing from four to six pounds an
take your choice for the pile. But no7
when you go to buy you yov
FRIDAYS dinner or Sundays breakfa:
you must pay ten cents a pound. II
: business is extremely profitable, and il
stances are pointed out of individuals no
worth their hundreds of thousands who
few wears ago labored by the day. Is tn
a revival of the "COdfsh Aristocracy 2"
Sanduskv has many natural advantage
chief among which is its magnificent b,
and harbor, where the navies of the wor
might ride at anchor. The city was han
somely and regularly laid out in its earl
, DAYS and its streets are fitted for a pop
lous business city. 1t has many fine bus
, ness blocks and private residences, built
/ the dark gray limestone. Its society
social, high toned and Jealous of the fan
and honor of its residents.
/; Among others of the older inhabitan
are the Cooke family, which numbers j
Cooke, Henry d. Cooke and Pitt Coo
among its sons. The honored and cul
waited mother of these houored sons st
/ resides in the old homestead and welcom
|, to its hospital board the families viii
have grown up to her sons. Jay Coo.
f has erected a fine mansion apon Gibralt
Island, adjoining Put-in-Bay, where