Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-24
THE EMPIRE STATE.
Fruit Culture - Chautauqua County
Sources Of Its Wealth,

clpal staple productions of the three or four
western counties of the Empire State are but
ter, cheese and fruit. There are, of course,
considerable quantities Of wheat, corn. oats
ana Irish potatoes produced; but, on the
whole, except perhaps Of the last two named,
the production does not equal the home con-
sumption. OF Irish potatoes there is generally
an excess, and of oats such is generally the
case with favorable seasons. The chief arti-
cles of export are, however, butter, cheese
and fruit This, in fact, is the case through
out the greater portion of the State.
There are limited sections, such as the Gen
esee ana Mohawk valleys, which are famous
as wheat growing districts. In the lake shore
ustrlcts-a strip OF country from four to eight
miles wide, generally level, bordering Erie,
the western end OF Ontario and along the Nj
agara rlyer-the production of wheat and
corn was very considerable in former wears,
put OF Iater years the land owners are giving
tnelr attention almost entirely to fruit, par
tlcuIarly the smaller varieties, such as grapes,
strawberries, raspberries and currants
Large, thrifty apple orchards are a prOmi-
nent feature OF every farm and a conspicuous
feature OF every landscape, exceeding in eX-
tent and equaling in value the orange groves
of the most favored sections of Florida. Flo
ridlans VIII look upon this statement as being
almost sacrilegiOus, and vet my observation
leads me to assert its truth.
Fredonla, Chautauqua county pronounced
shaw -taw-qua), is in the midst Of one of the
nhSsI Hult regions Oh the country, and of this
industry, its extent, and how it is conducted
in this vicinity, will speak principally in this
letter.
1t should first be borne in mind that Chau-
tauqua Is the extreme northwestern county in
the State, lying directly upon Lake Erie, the
Iorty miles OF whose width separates it from
Canada.
This county is about thirty miles SQUARE.
and has population of a little more than 65,-
600, largely rural; its largest place, James
town, having population of only about 5000
or 10000.
There are, however, a great number of
smaller towns and villages several averaging
1000 each, while this place has $780, and Dun
kirk, three miles distant on the lake, has 1000
and city government.
The farms, take the county at a whole, will
scarcely average 100 acres each, 300 acres be-
ing the largest body of land of which have
any knowledge as being owned by one man,
ana such cases are rare.
The territory to which the cultivation of
small fruits is chiefly restricted is the strip of
level country about five miles wide and thirty
fiye long bordering upon Lake Erie on the
north, and range OF hills on the south, the
hills running parallel with the shore of the
lake and about five miles therefrOm. For
about three miles adjacent to the lake the soil
is principally gravelly loan, with occasional
ridges Of clay; while the lands skirting the
base of the hills is of slate formation, conse-
9uently yellow clay. The timber land of
this lake shore region is restricted to an Oc-
casiOnal grove or wood of one, two or three
acres, Just sufficient to set off the landscape:
the balance is entirely in cultivation in grain
and grass, or in large apple orchards, grape
vineyards, raspberry fields or strawberry
beds.
To say that there are 500 acres in this lake
shore belt in this county, of cultivated straw
berries, would probably not cover the full
amount. The yield is from 1000 to 5000 quarts
per acre, according to the season and the
amount OF care they receive, the average not
falling below $500 quarts, and probably not
over 5000. Prominent growers of the fruit
claim that it exceeds the last named quantity.
Strawberries begin rpening about the 10th of
June, the season lasting about fifteen days-or
twenty at the outside. The prices obtained
for the first five days is generally Is cents.
falling of toward the height of the season to
10, s and sometimes cents which is the low
est figure ever reached. The picking costs 10
and cents per quart.
Black raspberries begin ripenng before
Strawberries are fairly of our hands. and last
about the same length of time, This fruit is
cultivated far more extensively than straw
berries; for, although the yield and prices are
nearly equal, stand of bearing raspberry
bushes once obtained will maintain a maxi
mum yield for an unlimited period if pruned
and properly cultivated, whereas the former
must be renewed every third or fourth year
at best.
The acreage of raspberries in the lake shore
belt Of this county is, indeed, very great
nearly half of the farms and suburban lots
having plants of greater or less extent. One
grower, two and half miles south of this
place, has twelve acre patch of them while
patches of five, four and two acres are very
will not pretend to say what the aggregate
would be, but it is several hundreds Of acres
The yield reaches 1000 quarts per acre in some
instances the average closely apprOximating
5000. The average price is eight cents per
quart
Blackberries and currants are also culti
waited to some extent.
Grapes stand at the head of the list of fruit
raised In this region, both in point of acreage
quantity of fruit and aggregate money value
In fact, the strip of country that 1 have here
described is fast becoming one vast vineyard.
Passing along what is known as the 'imain
road" fine, broad public thOroughfare, run
ming through the heart of this region, midway
between the lake and the hill range, one sees
these broad vineyards stretching away on
either hand in countless lines, or rows, oftrel-
Used vines, The roadside is entirely lined on
either hand with either these grape vineyards
apple orchards, or the other fruits herein
named.
The largest single vineyard in this region
contains seventy-hye acres of vines, while
those Of fifteen and twenty acres are quite
numerous. The aggregate runs into the
thousands.
The principal varieties are the Concord,
Delaware and Catawba, although there are
nearly or quite 200 other varieties under cul-
tivatiOn. The three named are, however, the
principal varieties raised for general shipping
purposes.
Mr.. T. s. Hubbard, of this place, leading
vineyardist, exhibited 14S distinct varieties Of
grapes Of his own raising at the Agricultural
Fair held here last week.
the Rogers hYbrids, some of them of NAM
moth size and remarkable sweetness.
A new variety of white grape, called the
Niagara, is receiving considerable attention
at this time, and is claimed to possess great
merit. Its original propagator will sell roots
only under contract that the purchaser shall
not propagate, or allow to be propagated, any
cutting from it.
1t would astonish your Georgia readers
could they witness the tons upon tons of fruit
Of this kind that is daily shipped from this
county during its season. They would won
der where enough people could be found to
consume such quantities; for, as l said, they
are mostly eaten fresh. They are shipped to
every city and town of consequence between
Chicago and Boston, or between Toronto and
Baltimore. '.' e. 90
In shipping they are carefully assorted and
packed in light, covered baskets, holding six,
eight, ten, twelve and eighteen pounds each,
and net above all expenses from two to three
cents per pound.
The apple product of this county aggregate
something ike 100000 barrels OF good ship
ping fruit, the average price TO the producer
being about 81 90 per- barrel.
All other fruits of the north temperate
zone, such as peaches, plums cherries, pears
and ounces, are grown successfully; peaches
failing most frequently. ..-
VIII speak of the dairy interests, manufac-
tories, and the social features of this section
in due time. ff A. G. z.