New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-30
TIE GRAPE REGIONS or TIE SITE OF
NEU-YOEh.,

STANDARD I'm This respect is the Catawba. ms re-
;ros q b,,d clay or a shale soil which generally is
too Door toraiso an average crop OF corn IL Is UNI
clilt if not impossible, to name place where 'h'S
CRANE does well unless il is in the vicinity OF a con-
e,l,r,I1e bodv of water. The Delaware thriyes in
4be same places but succeeds best with richer SOIL
Since the Iona has recovered from what seemed con-
s.jtntonal weakness, but which due TO
forced propagation il is taking high rank, and
II is not improbable that it may become a standard
crane In many respects it is much better than the
Catawba. Thus far, many OF the really NaluaOle
grapes improve after they cease to be exclusively
furnished by the professional prOpagators, and after
they are grown IN the open ar by culllVat0rs VINO
have limited Accommodations for forcing growth
When Dr.. Grant introduced the Iona be did a great
service 10 the country. Ills lSraela is rslngto high
esteem rs wine grape, but many do not IKE IL iOI
the table new grape which he has recently m
PRODUCED and named EUmelan Is OF great promise 10y
its qualities are excellent. but Hitie mas oCci ~
OF it, foliage which Is Of first Importance When
broadcast cultivation IS under considerations 81
ether new grapes the walter Is 10 DC ho'II'I'
far as known, from specimens grown at o"si'99,'
Sic il is equal in all qualities TO the l0na' du III
trial at HammoudspOrt with the saccharomcteI ~
ranked very high while us foiiage is So'OcIDu ~
DE equal to that OF any OF the rough "n" "''U' -
Tetics. -. ,+s =, ,rrr
'rrfpt> of the y9ri0us grape localities OF the west
recent lists TO the grape regions OF the CdCOI Wv
York vll complete the list far as relates 10 that
pant OF One United states east OF the hoch9 NoI L
iaips The most celebrated grape region OF IhIS
State is among the lakes I'm the INFERIOR Ihe ouloI
of which into Lake ontario. lneSe are iloI III VI
453 of t,fude considerably above the sea level ana
obout -1umles north of Cincinnati where the cuIu-
atiu nf native varieties i'm this country INST COM
lneured The most extensive planting indeed the
only place where the business Is carried on thor
ouchly J, Crooked Lake. now called keuha, al
tine head of which Is HammOndsport; the
dlstrihutory for all the vineyards along the shores
Arriving 20 Pen YAM at the foot of the Lake, let
Che and took small steamer i0r the toWn a4ole
naned. distant some 20 miles The water is clear
and the bottom Is of gravel or rock; fish are pet-
fl and u places the depth IS 50 great tlat l lllat
cold country Do does not freeze over untl m0Wlhl
~ first hc banks are low, but soon they rise mghei
and assume decidedly mountainous character FOR
the INST ten miles there are few or no vineyards
though there seems mo- reason why plahthg ulSul
MOI Dc done with hope of reward; ana When Wlthh
1--WE miles of the head of the lake scene breaks upon
theNiew which. so far as vineyards are concerned mas
10 parable, on the American cOiIiie1l anu "Vun.l'So
is uucNc,led In the world. Inc lake Is 1uiE as
broad a- tine Mississippi from Baton Rouge to New
Orleans, and the prospect is Tree, daHllih4 "lU
romantic. The greater part OF the vineyards are ON
the Western shore. The ground rises almost lmme-
Ciatev from the waters edge and from 500 TO 400 feet
Li,h equal 10 Pilot Knob OF Mount Tom. Ger
tlnlv no farmer would undertake TO raise grain ON
zach dcclvlty for II seems almost Impossible ioI
team to plOw or for a wagon 10 ascend WITHIN TWO
miles of the town. and where the hill is SteepeSt and
least marked by rayluCs, IS solid block 0f vineyards
reaching from the bottom TO the top ana inaklhs IN
one body several hundred acres an neatly Siahed
while cultivation is thorough, aud the general man
agement, they have decided 1t should be, is Win
scarcely fault II is true that on Put-nBay ana kcl-
Tvs laandare vineyards equally eXteDSlVe,and within
one Enclosure hut they are or level ground bounded
ON one side by Lake Erie and they not presented
10 the eye in all their details as here upon the Moun
tain side. Next comes gully with narrow strip OF
forest, and beyond more vineyards with here and
there dwelling, then Hammondsport appears at the
oatlct of narrow valley and wedgcd between hills.
Ivcn beyond, for nearly two miles, the hills are
planted with vines whence one behods Pleasant
Valley, far below adorned with tasteful dwellings,
surrounded by eveT-bearng orchards. In the town
are few stores and neat residences and there Is
large establishment for making grape packages
Many wears ago HGmmODdSpOrt was OF considerable
commercial Importance, since by the Lake much
transportation done between Northern and
Southern regions but artificial ways of transit leave
il side. The chief interest Is with
reference to grapes, and TO no small extent
peaches and apples. Within a few miles about
4cC acres in vineyard, while there is ground equally
good for as much more.
Pleasant Valley commences at HammOndSpOrt and
T. about half mile wide and through it runs
main travelled road 10 Bath, the county of Steu-
ben. eight miles distant Something like mile
from the town. and N the valley are the fruit houses
and cellars of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company.
The capital invested is about 100000 the arrange
ulrnts extensive and complete and Erenchman,
with skill derived from his country. superinteds
tho making of the wine. such has been the preJu- |
dice against American wines, manly arising nom |
the many specimens manufactured in families from
curIaats and other small fruits, which those who
made them did not like, that this company, well
others 80 engaged have been obliged to make great ef
forts and TO eXpend considerable sums IN calling at
ttptou 10 their SAMPLES and to compete with foreign
manufactures. At last, their wines have been APP |
proved 10y good judges and the demand is fully as
great they supply Ii Is TO be noted, however
takes large quantities. The sea-board cities, and |
New-York IN particular, are unsatisfactory markets.
and iUI two reasons; one Is taste already acquired
for foreign WINES ana mostly without the least re-
gard TO quality; and the other is the notion, fOs-
tered by importers and their associates, among the
upper CLASSES that Is, those who have money 10 spend
that only Europeans can make good VINE; IN fact |
whatever i imported is represented as superior |
10 similar articles made here. The only truth III |
such general assertion is in reference to some man
ulacturcd article which requires skill and cheap la
bOr bat with regard 10 articles of food or drink !
where the original qualities equal the idea IS alb
surd. BY thorough and ludiciOus advertising in |
Ncw-YOTk these companies could eventually break |
into the Eastern markets. Foreign wines and all |
foreign manufactures are largely advertised while
American manufacturers appear TO think that the |
patriotism OF our people VIII hunt them up
When American grapes contain the due amount Of
s3cchaiue matter and acld II Is easy To make VINE
that viii pass every scientific test as well as WINE
made in Europe, and nothing more can be said Of
grapes and Oi wine IN any part of the world 1t is
true that American wine viii have iiavOrOi its own,
and 80 have the wines OF European vineyards, !
not remote from each other Those IN the West who
buy and drink wine new hands AT the business,
and when they learn to drink American VINE no
other kind snIts them 50 well. We may reasonably
expect, therefore that the demand for European
wine has reached its limit, and that American wine
will be more in demand with each wear until the
coming Will refuse TO look upon VINE III the cup
whatever may be ITS color.
About three miles below HammOndspOrt is the Ur
bana Wine Company establishments as extensive
as the other one, and making the same varieties OF
wine. Everything Is conducted IN the most APP !
proved manner no expense seems 10 have been !
SHARED and there can be no doubt that the manage
Inent of both these hOnses is in all respects what the
business demands. They can secure an abundance /
OF grapes of the best quality grown in sight OF their
cellars and adulterated or productions could
be no more profitable than the genuine.
In going through these establishments. and IN |
visiting the many vineyards II noticeable that
the managers. business men, eultvat0Ts ana owners
were with the exception of the few French experts
Americans aud such men as are found IN our towns |
and on our farms. and coming under the head OF