The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-24
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| {CbTTeG10ndelee CtRciRIl6tf GGzensl
y WHEELING, August is.
I notice. on the fourth page OF Your
issue of the 18th, that you qnote some
extracts from the louisville Courier, in
regard to the condition of the grape
crop in Kentucky. The account, as
given, shows a widespread failure OF
the crop In that State, owing TO rot.
The writer in the Courier suggests that
this misfortune may be owing to the
extreme heat in June, and along about
the first of July. In the absence ofany
other known cause, he suggests this
idea as a possible explanation. 1t is
but barely possible, however, that he
is correct in his theory, for the reason
/ that it would seem as ii the same cause
should produce, approximately at least,
| the same effect wherever else in the
grape growing regions of the country
/ there was also Excessive heat" And
yet this has not been the case. Here,
for example, In our own locality, the
"oldest inhabitant1 never remembers
more severe or protracted spell of heat,
For three weeks our soil basked, baked
and burned, 1 may say, underneath a
vertical sun, so much SO that our pota-
to crop became a failure, and our
corn was injured. And that seems
to have been the experience of a vast
area of country Seven as far north as
Canada. The upward range OF the
thermometer was unparalleled, for
| at least many years previous. This be-
Ing the case, and the effect not having
been to produce general rot among the
grapes, it is possible that some other
cause of failure must be sought for by
the Kentuckianz. At Kelley's Island,
where the temperature is enaturally
lower than in kentucky, situated as il
/ is among the cool waters and breezes
of Lake Erie, the rot has, We are in
formed, made considerable inroads
upon the crop. And not only upon
Kelley's Island, but throughout the
grape region up there IS this the case.
Here in our own locality, however,
where, as said, we had such an I'M
usual visitation OF excessive heat this
season, sthe grape crop never looked
better, perhaps never SO we'll, both in
respect to quality and quantity. Our
| Ohio river hills Whereabouts look like a
| VeritabIe Rhineland, as indeed they are
hundred sores ofgrapes within cannon
sound of the spot where write, mostly
| opposite the city, on the Ohio side, and
already the rich clusters of the earlier
varieties are beginning to purple for
the market. The grape mainly Guilt
waited, however, is the Catawba, and
nothing could exceed the luxuriance of
its promise up to this time. At Gin.
ciunati and vicinity this variety, it
is apprehended, has about ended
its career, and, if SO, we may conSratu-
late ourselves that it has adopted
our soil as one emineuIly suited 10 its
instincts and requirements, and that il
will stay with US, not as an exotic. bat
as the natural product of congenial
scope of country, as witness our vine
yards OF all ages up TO twenty years
bearing. The soil on the river hills is,
in places, a strong, rich limestone, hav-
ing a lower stratum Of what is known
as blueish limestone, such as is used in
kilns. and an upper stratum of magne-
sian limestone, a quality that when ex-
posed crumbles and enIlches the soil,
and is peculiarly adapted for grape
growing. In addition to Catawbas, we
raise many of the other varieties, such
as the Concortis, Delawares, NortOn's
Seeding, &c. In fact, / doubt if there
where the same variety of grapes can
where they arc Q more reliable crop
from year to year. Last year the pro-
duct WAS luNuriant, and this season il
promises to be still more so. Indeed,
the heat argument, as used in Ken
| lucky might be used by us here in q
precisely opposite direction. The wTi-
ter in the Courier knows of no cause,
save the excessive heat, why the crop
down there should be failure, while,
perhaps, with equal force, we up here
might say we knew of no other cause
for the extra perfection of our yield.
So promising are our prospects, for not
only this season, but for the future, that
our growers are naturally more solicit
tous for a market than for any contin-
gency in regard to the crop itself.