New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-14
THE GRAPE CROP.


subject full justice AT tho best all accounts must
be imperfect, for we have no statistics, and there
must be thousands of acres Of which we have no
knowledge
The first attempt at grape growing in this country
was made about thirty years ago at Vevay Indiana
by some Swiss, who brought their vines from Eu-
rope but disastrous the result that for long
time our climate and soil were supposed wholly ul
suited to the grape But Mr. LongwOrth, hea!lnS -
the Catawba planted it near Cincinnati, ana =. eS
ceeded so well that il was introduced on lnose "a
tenslve scale For several years tho wine DusHosss
there considered firmly estabshed. Dus thr
a few years the Catawba has rotted badly. III The
this was owing TO the treatment received ny 'ro
German yine-dressers who, to great extern, VIZ
employed, stripping the vine of its foliage OF lhei
ais in the midst of Summer, by what they oaliou
"kiteing" or whether there has been cHdllse ~. VI
the season. is unknown; STILL it is certain thaI ln9
locality is now considered only second-rate' anu
some of their best vine have 'ino
Me9nwhile in other parts of the country few had
been planting the Isabella, which did toleraDy wel'
particularly in the wards and gardens OF Town resi-
dences Something like 20 years ago MI CaipentteI,
an intelligent farmer on Kelly's Island, got lew
vines of this variety and finding II to succeed Deyohu
his expectations, he planted quarter OF an acre. Az
that time the island was valued most for It's CEDAR
which was sent to Cleveland for fence posts ana LOT
limestone which was shipped III large qnantliles 10
various lake pOrs-for all northern Ohlowith the eX-
ceptiOn of the neighbOrhOod Of Sandnsky Is destitute
of1me This island is about three miles wide and 10
miles long and ut that time was almost an unbroken
wilderness. Afterward, Mr. Carpenter planted 1eW T
Catawbas which to the surprise OF everyone dld sun
better than the Isabella, and from that time grape
culture became firmly established not only there but
also on the neighbOring islands. The soil OF Kelly
Island is hard clay that OF the others more lncleu
TO gravel. To give an idea of the extensive planting
there we will say that we saw few years ago on
Bay $50 of grapes IN one held al III Ihe
flush of ripeness and loading down the trcllises Inc
Catawba predominates though many esteem and plant
tho Isabella and they of better quality here than
anywhere else. Some have what they call superior
kind of Isabella OF late, some have planted tle
Delaware largely rs well as other varieties On the
main shore fronting these islands are vineyards
equally extensive particularly on peninsula run,
this grape region is the city of Sandusky which hay-
ing declined in commercial importance is now, &c
cdedly the most important distributing point LOT
grapes in our whole country, and perhaps IN the
world 1t is an ample compensation. Immense guam
titles are daily shipped thence to every CITY In Tue
Union, and perhaps "a much to Cincinnati rs 10 any
other. All along the Lake Shore, UP to the 4iauhee'
grapes are grown with equal success and SO alSo
eastward TO Cleveland, and thence nearly all the
way TO Buffalo distance exceeding 200 miles.
Next TO Sandusky, Cleveland is the, most import
ant point but on the whole the crop here generally
il inferior TO that grown the islands. OWING 10 an
admixture of Isabellas, which are much subject 70
mildew and unequal ripening. caused by the sandy
soil which gives rapid growth of wood and iollage
II must be understood that the grape region east OF
Sandusly is divided into two parts. One lies on a
ridge running parallel with the lake and ABOUT Two
wide; the soil hard clay. mixed with black shale
gravel The other is the valley between the 1901 OF
the ridge and the beach soil OF lOany sand tlougn
there are places whore the clay Is OF the hardest KIM
On the clay, and particularly on the ridge, the
grapes are fully equal 90 those grown on the island
or in any other part of the country Indeed IN some
OF the ridge vineyards the must goes rs hlg TINS year
as 100 degrees. On the sand the results are
less favorable. At Cleveland are some expert vine
makers among whom Is Mr.. Leick, German VINO
on sending specimens of his wine 10 Germany, sur,
nrised the best Judges Of Rhine wine 10y their good
quality On Kellys Island large quantities OF vino
have been made for several years, and Mr. carpenter
has perhaps the largest and best wine cellar II
America This year the must is said TO be above
common being from SO 10 IS degrees Some oil the
growers sending the must. directly 70 deale
and bOttlers of various cities IN an unierlnthbu
state Thus wine-making has become an inp0riai II
business and while IL should be encouraged for inc
reason that IL Tcfnes taste, and hes the tcnden'y
gradually to destroy the taste for stronger drin =
still no one who temperance man should use VINE
as a beverage for this will put him into descending
scale, the ultimate tendency OF WHEN Is 70 siIYhg
drink. The difference lies IN gradually sustaining
and gradually acquiring. The plce PAID Tor VINO
grapes which inferior 10 table grapes at least in
shipping condition, il five cents a pound; wlie
brandy grapes part Of which are uniipe and which
include all the IL use. are only three cents pound
AT Crooked Lake, Hammondsport, the soil around
which is similar 10 that on tho ridge on the Lake
Erie shore though with tho difference OF having
more shale the crop is good, aud wine-making ~
going on with great activity. There II grapes do
not bring ten cents n pound, they are made into
wine. The yield per mere is probably equal To the
WELD in Ohio From oil accounts. there are great
many localities in these interior lakes OF the state OF
New-York where grapes VIII do well ana as the
Catawba is preferred, this settles the question AS 10
its value for HOwing for, though this ~ our
best grape, both Tor WINE and for the table, ~ tht
and foliage are 50 sensitive as to flourish only III Sc
lect and peculiar localities.
OF most of the rest of the Eastern States, and OF
the Atlantic coast generally, owing TO the months OF
pouring rain the grape crop Is represented as having
grOwn were raised in Connecticut and up the HnC-
son River. Dr. Grant says his vines never did better
and DR.. Underhill at Croton Point has good ylelH
but these have what is called water climate; IL,
however 1t is true that grapes have done so badly
is hard to explain why the market IN tins city mas
been well stocked for in tho Hush OF the season
they dull at six cents pound, unless these sup
plies are indications Of most extensive planting,
each grower sending few OF that there were heavy
shipments from the Lakes, which is likely. one
thing il certain that is, whoever proposes to plant
grapes beyond the wants OF the family II he would
use common judgment will do so only with the WOW
of having wine grapes, for 1t las ceased to pay to
Beyond the Alleghanys, commencing at Pittsburgh
the crop is said TO be the best ever crown There the
season has been unc0mmonly Dry, and we must DO
taught by this that dry climates are most favorable
for grapes The select localities for this fruit in the
West beside Northern Ohio, are not numerous, and
are as follows: The eastern shore OF Lake Michigan,
the center of which is ST. Joseph, another town OF
diminished commercial grandeur, but now made
highly prosperous; on the high grounds Of the Mis-
sissipp commencing at st, Louis, or even 40 miles
below on the Iron Mountain Road, and extending as
far north as Burlington, Iowa; some. of the river
hills of the Lower Ohio, and in yarious localities
along the Missouri, above jefferson City, particu-
larry at Hermann Only on Lake Michigan, and on
tho Upper Mississippi commencing ut Quincy, is the
Catawba a faYOrite, showing how limited arc the
localities where it will succeed. At Cincinnati much
grape growing is still going OIL but the Catawba to
great extent, is discarded. In Southern Illinois o
considerable planting has been done, also in Central
Illinois, mainly Of Concord, Hartford Prolific, and
Clinton but, in absence of positive information, we
cannot state how the vineyards have succeeded. We
suspect and with some facts for basis, that they
have had some rot even with the Concord. This
grape seems to grow in the greatest perfection
between 3S and 40 degrees of latitude where 10
notion, it has no superior TO cat out of hand not
even in the Catawba. 1t is perhaps, singular that