The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-18
HEAVY loss In GRAPES.
The State Crop, Worth $780,
600, Ruined by Bugs
and Black Rot.
Special to the Jersey City Ne,os.

Special to the jersey CITY NetUS.
VINELAND, N. j., July is, 1S9O.-The
grape rot, together with the rose-bug,
has played havoc with the crop in New
Jersey, and the farmers predict that no
grapes will be shipped to market this
season in consequence, thereby ~entailing
a fearful loss to those engaged in b cul-
tivation of the delicious fruit. The
grapes are all more or less affected by
either the rot or the, bug. and what few
are left will be utilized at home for the
manufacture of wine. The rot made its
continued up to the present.tlme, doing a
vast amount of damage and entailing
much loss to those engaged In raising The
grape. But the rot was not the worst
enemy, for in 1887 the dreaded rosebug
made Its appearance in the vineyards OIL
New Jersey, and struck terror to the
hearts of the culturists by first destroy
ing the blossom and thsn the leaves OF
the vine. The bngs generally appear on
the 10Th of May, and Ic9ptippIe their de-
VISITATION until the 2oth. Of J1ne, during
which time they generally finish up a
vineyard. They then bury themselves at
the root of the vine, and during the win
ter months their breeding Is continted,
and the spring finds myriads of them
once more at their deadly work. Every
lt06uS udS UG6u bAhcu W pICFCAb q -CCuA-
renee of theidevastation and to save the
vine, but without success. The Govern
ment took the matter in han Il
expended considerable money in eX-
p~erimenJing on the subject; but this,
too, failed, and the only resort was to bag
every bunch of grapes, which few of the
culturists could do, as The expense and
trouble would not pay. After consider
able trouble in experimenting, a chemi-
cal has been found that will prevent the
rot. 1t istcalled .'Zomonia;" and is used
by sprinkling over the vines; but the bug
has full sway as before, and will likely
continue its ~depredations for some. time.
There is one species of grape that the in
sect will not touch: IL is a grape used
only for the manufacture of wine. and is
called the "Acrodia." For some reason
this fruit has a dread for the bug.
DAMAGE BY o N BUGS.
The rot and the bug have caused ire
mendous damage in the vineyards in and
around Vineland, N. j., which at one
time was the largest producing station in
the United States. The climate was such
at his place as to attract Ttrry foreiSh-
ers, who were interested in the. raising OF.
grapes. From 1870 to 1880 the crops were
something enormous, and the cnlturists
were making money, almost every resi-
DEM owning his vineyard. and making.
his own wine. In 1880 there was shipped
TO market from Vineland $1,000 tons of
grapes, and the same year nearly 500, 900
gallons of wine were manufactured.
From 1850 to 1854 the yield was very fair,
but since that time the crop has been
growing smaller n smaller until last
year no grapes were shipped, and this
year the wine manufacturers will be
obliged 10 60 to New York State for their
stock.
Colonel A. w. Pearson, OF Vineland.
who is the United States Inspector in
this branch Of business, is the owner of a
large yihsssEa and has eEperigented and
buthas n4stlwfthSRpof SUCCESS, and out
Of u. 900 virLes that have r~eceivedshis care
and attentf6Rssth1s year about 5000 will
give q rednnedsEiaM Flo places his loss
on his cropa9ab $2,l9sQ, and says the State
loss will be at leasEat half miflien dollars.
Colonel P~earson'hhs made a study Of the
grape for many.years, and in speaking of
she matter, he saidiy-sThe crop in this
State is totally destroyed, and the bug
is migratinR into other States where it
is getting in Its deadly work. In New
at its appearance, and even in Cali
fornia it has been noticed In the vine-
yards. In speaking of Vtneland, the Col
onel said manyfaptaers had been ruined
by the sucoessivos failures of the grape
crop. and that naapy were tearing up
their vines and using the ground for
sweet potauoes, which are more profitable
Just now. A visit to the Colonel's vine
yard confirmed the REMARKS of that gen
tleman; acres n acres of vines lay
stretched out apparently. worthless, either
the leaves destroyed or the black rot hav-
Not only did the bugs destroy. the grape
croD or this gentleman, but they destroyed
a whole orchard of apples and pears,
which the Colonel says they are doing
elsewhere, thus cutting off the fruit sup
ply.
THE INQUIRY MAY BE LASTING.
How long the bugs wfll continue their
lavenous work, Colonel Pearson cannot
predict, but he is satisfied that the dead
ly work done round Vineland already
has destroyed the raising of the delicious
fruit at that point for many years. Mr..
5. I. Ellis, another large grape raiser of
Vineland, is a heavy sufferer by the bug
and rot. He has a large vineyard cover
ing over thirty acres which formerly
yielded about $50 tons of grapes. He will
be fortunate this season if he gets one
ton. He also will use considerable
ground hereafter for other than the cul
ture Of grapes. Mr.. WV. Whiting of the
same place, originally had a fine vineyard
of 1000 vines. He has suffered with the
rest and will take up all of his vines and
utilize the ground for a better paying
article. Among other heavy grape cul-
turisrs who have been unfortunate with
their crops and who will attempt to raise
a smaller stock are:-Ffank Bingham, J. |
B. Anderson, ID. G. Gerow, William jack |
man. c. r. Smell, George Muhleisen, J.
D. Reustle, H. c. Hoffmeyer, M. Neppel.
u. and L.. Laubsch, J. G. Wheeler aud S.
p. Ash. All of these gentlemen formerly
did a lucrative business until the rot
came, and since that time their losses
lave amounted to considerable.
DAMAGE IN THE SMALLER PLACES.
In addition to those mentioned in Vine
land, there exists a small settlement on
the outskirts of the town known as North
Italy, whose Inhabitants are Italians as
the name implies. Every one here has
his vineyard, and some of them are quite
extensive. The Italian looks upon his
wine made from the grape as part of his
nutriment, and consequently takes great
pride in raising the grapes Remarkable
as it may appear. the vineyards at this
point are but slightly affected by either
the bug or the rot. and they all look for
ward to a goodly crop. There is also q
German settlement called Germantown
on the outskirts of Vineland. where
many large vineyards exist, but the vines
are mostly gone, and man poor families
have been ruined and gone elsewhere to
raise the fruit, being unable to pay the
interest on the mortgage of homes in
which thew felt Surp. SO l0DQ 40 the praDa