Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-31
American Wine DaaLing-The
Vine.Yards of KelIey's HslandA
Lake Erie. III .lfS 7f, -.f5 nuisra1 III

VinesYards of AelIeysS Hslamd-
Lake Erie. i1i tli7 $50 -.si @gifHs 81
lKelley's Island, in Lake Erie. has of late
years become famous for its grapes and
wine. An interesting history of the bus-
ness carried on there is given in letter to
the Ohio State Journal, part of which we
copy: ,!Those interested in studying geo.
logical phenomena, as well as those having
q taste for American antiquities, may find
some matters of interest on Kelley's Island.
Everywhere on and around the island deep
grooves have been cut into the solid lime
rock by the glaciers. In some instances
these glaciers moved blocks of rock
weighing twenty thousand tons, not on d
level plain nor on descending slope, but
really move the masses up bill i lsknow OF
no better place to see the effects of glacial
action than on the north and east shores of
the Island. On the south side of the island,
detached from the island, however, lies a
large block of limestone whose npper SUR
face is completely covered with figures of
sun, moon, men, deer, ETC., craven in the
rocks, as is. generally believed by Indians.
"Grapevines were planted on the island
more than twenty years ago, and are yetin
good bearing condition-in. fact the oldest
vine on the island is to-day as prolific a
bearer as any of the more recent vines. The
varieties of grapes planted are the Cataw-
ba. Isabella, Delaware and Concord many
other, varieties are represented by a few
vines, but nine-tenths of the wine made on
the island is from the Catawba. ~ -'i'l'i'2'
-ssIn 1853 Mr.. Charles Carpenter had one
acre in grapes. He sold from the crop to
the amount of 500. Nine rows of Isabella
vines yield him 1,575 pounds of grape, from
which he made 200 gallons of wine. He
gathered $3.50 pounds of Catawbas, but
sold most of them for table use, and from
the remainder he manufactured one hum
dred and thirty gallons of wine. In 1857
the first quality of his Catawba must
showed specific gravity of seventy-eight
degrees and with the addition of six
ounces of sugar, showed, 80 degrees. OF
this quality he made 967 gallons. His No.
2 Catawba must showed 81 degrees, but
withthe addition of twelve ounces Of sugar
was 100 degrees; ;of this he made 17S gall
Ions. The Isabella must showed 5S de-
grees; with eight ounces of sugar, S5 de-
grees-245 gallons. Mr.. Kelley, in 1857.
made $50 gallOns.I In 1857 there were about
seventy acres in grapes ON the island, and
lalf of which were set out that spring.
ssThe leading wine growers on the island
more than year ago formed Joint stock
company of 100000 capital; 100000 of TIL e
'apital has been taken, and payments
amounting to thirty-five per cent. have
been made. The company have contracted
for the grapes on one hundred and fifty
acres, the must of which must be equiva-
lent to a standard of eighty-five degrees
The company owns wine cellar with a
storage capacity of about 100000 gallons
There are now some u 900 gallons of wine
on hand in it, and they intend to fill it with
ahe vintage of this year. The company
mas employed a very intelligent German
. rom near the Rhine, who from youth was
broughtsup to wine making. He was en-
plOyed last year. and his manufacture OF
the vintage of 1866 gives very fattering
promises of being the best wine ever made
in Ohio; it certainly is very tar superior to
that made here in former years. To me il
isfvery evident that much of grape culture
ind wine making is yet to be learned, be-
fore Ohio will produce a wine in every re-
spect equal to that made by that toilsome
patient and somewhat stolid tribe of the
: rentonie race-the Swabians on the Rhine
I "'Aside from the company's cellar, there
are eight other cellars on the island whose
aggregate capacity does not exceed that OF
the company's alone. The company have
mf de preparations and arrangements te
manufacture aftirst class article of Catawbs
brandy Wine and wine growing musi
be fully as remunerative as petroleum
stock. When i first visited the island in
1858. there were several men employed as
laborers, working for $12 to $15 per month
with the savings of these limited earning;
they purchased several acres of land
planted them in grapes, and to-day have
not only comfortable, but really elegant
homes, and free of debt, and have an an
nual income of from $1,000 to $1,000
About that period of time a German land.
! ed on the island, with 5000 in cash-his
entire worldly fortune. Heooraid $40(
! of it Tor a few acres;- planted then
| in grapes; and am told that he now is
worth over $50O00, all made out of his few
acres of grapes,l by great perseverance, un-
tiring industry and unyielding energy. Is
not this an example well worthy of imita-
| ton? Kelley's Island and the lake shore
! are not the only places where a sure re-
ward earnest and patient industry
| am willing to, admit that the lake itself
| is of considerable advantage in modifying
the meteorological influences for grape
growing. but there are a great many othel
points in Ohio where grape growing car
be made just as profitable as here. =
.sThe success which seemed to hove
around every one. who engaged earnestly
| in vine culture, or wine making, produced
! as may well be imagined, quite mania fol
vineyards. Put-in- Bay Island is being rap
idly converted into a large vineyard; Nortl
Bass Island is rapidly filling with vine til,
Peninsula has many acres, and rounc
about Sandusky possibly one Thousand
| acres are in grapes. did not approyei o
! guessing but could gain no definite sta
4 ClsIlcSs ana can only say IN support OF Tn
/ thousand acre guess, that on the roat
from Sandusky city to Venice there is lit
orally almost a continuous vineyard for
distance of about five miles, and the entirt
| suburbs of Sandusky city are simply vas
| viney yard-here fifty acres, there ten, thert
| twenty over there fifty-f0ur, here six, ther
4! Twenty-Five, etc.JI a5 14ltft s % cog
! SAT no period osince grape growing wa
i commenced has there been promise of 81
] bountiful yield of grapes as the presen
I season gives. Those best situated 0for tn
| manufacture of wine are of opinion tina
] not more than half of the crop, should tn
! present promising condition be fully real
lied at the gathering or harvest, can pos
I Iiblyi be made into wine; the grapes o.
/. Kelley, Island alone will make 240, 600 gal
lons% ze.E
+, tFrom the Harrisburg Patriot and Union1 "a
! How. Negro Suffrage is TO be Sc
: -a' cured In PeunsylYanfsa. f---