Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-13
THE GRAPE SEASON.
an OYT-YEAR FOR TRl PRODUCTS ABOUT
home.
The Luscious Fruit Rolling in From New York
From Four to live Carloads Day Re-
csivsd-0OncOrds the Gall

We are right now in the grape season,
and during the past few weeks this
lucious fruit has been rolling in at a
lively rate. The market has not been
glutted exactly, but there has been q
pretty full supply all the time. A no.
table feature of the grape season here
in Wheeling this year is the lack Of
home products, there being scarcely any
in the market. All the grapes in this
vicinity were killed By the hard frost
early last spring, and whereas In other
seasons the local market has been al
most entirely supplied with grapes
raised in this vicinity, this year the
dealers have had to look to other
fields, and the biggest supply has been
drawn from New York. Grapes, for the
past few weeks have been coming into
the city at the rate of three to hive car
loads a week. They have been meeting
with a ready sale, and particularly at
all the hotels and boarding houses they
have been served in abundance, not to
speak OF the large consumption In prl-
yate houses. Concords, as usual, have
the first call, and at times the supply
has not more than evened up with
the demand. The Catawba and
Delaware grapes have also been in lively
demand. Within the past few days
new grape has appeared in the market,
known as the Niagara, Of white variety,
and said to be Of unusually rich flavor.
In addition to the frost, the vineyards
bereabouts were attacked with black
rot, and likewise ravaged by other all
ments, rendering the crop q failure
throughout. Before the frost came the
vines gave evidence OF an unusually big
crop this season, and growers were
buildiu0 high hopes. For several years
now there has not been very large crops
raised here, owing In part to the raw
ages of worms and the nature OF the
soil, which has in a measure become
contaminated through the spread OF the
insectivara pestlence.
Rev. Father Sullivan, who owns
tweuty-acre vineyard on Wheeling Hill,
and who is well versed In the cultivation
OF grapes, is Of the opinion that no
grapes can be raised In this city to com
pare with those sent in from New York
and other places, and 1t is likely that
before long the cultivation OF grapes IN
Wheeling will cease. Growers will find
it improbable, inasmuch as such
excellent varieties can be OBJ
tanned elsewhere so readily
Father Sullivan Is Of the opinion that
the small worms that are the cause OF
the black rot, after operating on the
fruit, fall to the ground, and eventually
the whole vineyard becomes contamln-
ated, and IT becomes very difhcult
matter to eradicate them. Being thus
so thoroughly mixed with the Soil they
rapidly spread from one vine TO another,
and 1t is not long before the ravages be-
come apparent.
Having depended in other years upon
the vineyard on the hill for altar wine,
Father Sullivan this year was obliged
to send away for the fruit, and within
the past few days he has received three
carloads OF Catawba grapes from New
York State, of most excellent quality.
This represents some thirty-three tons
Of the fruit, nearly all OF which will be
made into wine. The grapes were care
fully inspected before shipment, and
the saccarometer indicated that they
contained 81 per cent. OF sugar. These
grapes make about three gallons to the
bushel In his vineyard Father Sullivan
ordinarily raises about ten or fifteen
tons OF grapes. but this year, the fruit
being of such unusual excellence and so
reasonable in price, a much larger
quantity was gathered in.
Jacob Wilhelm also had two carloads
OF Catawbas sent here. The excellence
OF the out-oftown grapes is due 10 part
to the rigid discipline under which they
are operated, nearly all grapes being
sold through associations to which the
growers in New York and other places
belong, and are bound by explicit rules.
The care exercised by the associations
such that before shipment all grapes
are inspected by officials OF the sssocia-
ton, and only those Of good quality and
in prime condition are allowed to be
shipped. There have been more grapes
coming into the market from other
places this season than the home grow
ers usually raise, and the prices, singu-
lar enough, have been lower. Next
week the imported malaga grapes will
begin to put in an appearance, and the
general grape season will continue for
many weeks yet