The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-02-19
Grape Culture About WheeiinE'
CJ;tara Of tha Rauister.

to these two questions are as follows {:
In my opinion there is no section is
the Union that promises better success
in grape culture than the hill-sides bor-
dering the Ohio river from Parkersburg
to Pittsburgh, and if l was now about
to select location expressly for this
purpose. should do it within ten miles
of Wheeling. The latitude and temper
ature are just right, and the amount of
rain fall in summer ami autumn is con-
siderably less than in the Cincinnati
section, whick is of great advantage
to grapes. Then the soil of your
hills and slopes is more porous,
the rock strata being largely sandstone
and the subsoils gravelly, while the
surface soils are loamy, giving sufficient
drainage for the roots aud healthy
growth of vines, instead of the rank,
watery growth which is common on the
tenacious clay soils based on the blue
limestone hills around Cincinnati. Add
to this the advantages of elevation 600
to 500 feet) and the influence of the
broad river, and we have all the ele-
ments that our best theoretical knowl.
edge demands for first rate grape re-
gion; then we have also the testimony
of experience in the success that has
attended the culture of the grape in
most of the instances where tho business
has been fairly tried, aud those expert
ments, too, with the Catawba variety,
which is the most difficult to suit in
soil and climate, of all others, and has
proved general failure after a few
years of apparent success, in nearly all
parts of the Union, so that it is now
likely to be abandoned almost every
where.
Besides all this the facilities for mar
keting the fruit from Wheeling are su-
perier to those of almost any point, Civ
ing the choice of the Eastern cities, Bal
timore, Philadelphia, Washington, &C.,
and southwark are Cincinnati and
Louisville, with Pittsburgh aud Cleve.
land, northward. My own choice would
be to grow the fruit for the market,
rather than for wine. have no fears
that this business is likely to be over
done, if lreU done.
What rarieties to plant for this purpose
is a somewhat difficult question to de-
eide, especially where we have so few
experiments by which to judge OF the
adaptedness of the newer varieties to
the soil and climate. But taking the eX-
perience of Mr.. Knox at Pittsburg, as
very nearly representing the entire
river district to Wheeling, we can
Judge with some degree of confidence
in reference to quite a number of
promising varieties out of nearly one
hundred that have been on trial at the
Knox Fruit Farm for several years past
(Seventy varieties of the ripe fruit were
exhibited at Mr.. Knox's grape show last
October.)
THE CATAwBA is not counted sutii
ciently reliable TO be recommended, or
safely planted; it being more generally
subject to disease than almost any 9th
er variety.
THE CONCORD has been more extern
sively planted than any other for the
past few years, and when we'll grown
and carefully worked, as at Mr.. Knox's,
has been eminently satisfactory as to
production and profit. Though its quail
ty cannot be considered first-rate, there
is probability that, after few years,
it will become so plenty and cheap in
the markets as to afford very little
profit to the producers.
MARTHA, OR WHITE CONCORD.-There
is found to be quite demand for white
grapes, for variety, in the city markets,
and for time at least, the Martha
seems destined to supply that need.
There was quite large show of the
| fruit at Mr.. KnOx's the past fall, and
the following remarks upon it (written
by Mr.. CampbelD are taken from his
new descriptive catalogue, which is
advertised in the REGISTER, and ought
to be in the hands of every man who
expects to plant grape vine
1.-THE above is fair representation of
a medium sized cluster of the Martha
Grape as grown this season. IL is in
creasing in size of both bunch and ber-
~ each year, as the vines increase in
age and strength. l had punches the
present year, four and a half inches
long, aud berries full hree-fourths of
an inch in diameter. The vine is Just
as healthy and hardy as the Concord,
and will grow any and everywhere that
any grape will succeed. 1t ripens from
week to ten days earlier than the
Concord, although it blooms several
days laterin the Spring. In quality the
I Martha Is very sweet and rich, with
Just enough of vinous acid to make it
sprlghtly and delightful. 1t has little
7 OF the native aroma scarcely per-
ceptible to the taste very little pulp.
which is tender and melting, and no mn.
pleasant acidity next the seed: the
skin Is thin, but tenacious
IN TINS respect like the Del.
aware. In color from a pale, yellow
ish green, with thin white bloom. when
grown in the shade, to delicate sui.
3 DluE yellow Nlbu Unit, wDQn K
posed to the sun. Neither vine nor
fruit have ever shown any indication
of mildew or rot. No person has ever
tasted this grape in my presence that
did not pronounce it excellent. 1t will
be fornd the most valuable white grape
vet introduced, and is emphatically a
grape fer the people, as everybody thai
, can grow a vine can have beautlfu
white grape of the finest quality. Mr.
Thomas Meehan, the accomplished ed
itor of the Gardeners Monthly, said o.
the Martha, that he thought it one o
the finest grapes he had ever tasted
DR., ]. A. Warder, the most eminent
pomologist of Ohio, said of the Martha
: during the late exhibition of the Gin
. cinnati Horticultural Society, thai
taking its hardness, healthiness, ant
all other good qualities into con
sideration he regarded it as of more
value than all the rest of the
white native grapes put together; and
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