The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-05
THE BEST ON EARTH
Utah Can Produce Better Grapes
than California.
FROST FLAv0RS THE FRUIT
Salt Lake Should Look to Sanpete and the
Valleys of the South Rather Than to
Southern California.

III lived in Utah would supply Colo
RADIO with grapes, apples and small fruits, !"
said Il. H. Clarke, general agent of the
bio Grande Western railway, whose bust.
ness has made the fruit products of Cali
fornia an open book to him.
but we do not supply our own markets,
let alone those Of Colorado spoke up the
reporter.
~ THAT is all your own fault" said Mr..
Clarke with emphasis "You have the
same mistaken idea that prevailed in Cali
1ornia until three years ago. The great
vineyards were located in the valleys
where the frosts could not get at them.
FOR Time these grapes were in great de-
mand because they were plump, clear
skinned and filled the eye. But when
II came to making wine the grapes
that were fair to look upon failed to pan
OUT and were as devoid of flavor and tone
as saWdust. The grapes now raised in the
valley are drug on the market, being fit
only to make brandy and the cheap wines.
Inc great viniculturists are now reaching
up tie sides OF the mountains with view
to striking the frost altitude to raise grapes
for the finer wines.
"One OF the largest viuiculturalists in
California told me he wouldn't give a pinch
OF snuff for grapes raised in the valley and
his rustic way of telling it, while little
coarse, gives you proper estimation Of
the value which is placed on unfrosted
grape.
Utah Is looked upon as cold, bleak
desert by the outside world and the lack Of
enterprise, or rather confidence upon the
part OF your own citizens is largely
responsible for the outside estima-
ton. When the Rio Grande was
narrow guage and was compelled to go
over the high altitude of Marshall pass
California fruit growers would not consent
to ship over the line, believing that the hot
winds of the desert would cause their
fruits to quickly decay. After consider
able coa1iDg 1 induced a prominent fruit
grower to take tripe over the line, and it
took considerable persuasion to get him to
consent. 1 wanted him to see the
beautiful valleys through which the
road runs. said nothing directly to him
until we arrived at Grand junction, when
| asked him how he liked 1t. He replied:
For fifteen years have shipped all my
fruit over the Union Pacific, thinking it
was the only route. l came with you
scared to death for fear that the trip would
prove useless, but have got 258 miles from
Ogden without suffering, and if can travel
SO comfortably in the heart of summer,
l do not believe my fruit will suffer
either This man is the largest shipper
of green fruit in the United States and
you can see that it means a great deal for
US as well as your city, with which our
road is 80 intimately connected, but east
and west"
"You find your business increasingly
''Since the broadguarding it has increased
ZOO per cent and the valleys of Utah are
going to be the great gateway across the
continent.
'You have here valleys of which Cali
fornia would be proud, and your climate Ia
so diversified that you can raise all fruits
from the hardy apple to the tropical orange.
have seen as much snow in Los Angeles
as you have here at the present time. and
more frost. When l was in San Jose, there
was,one-half inch frost, and instead of the
grape growers lamenting the fact, they
were congratulating themselves that the
grapes would be OF better quality next year.
when l find 1t thaWing here it is frozen
up in Ogden and cold as blixen at Logan.
Go further south in your valleys and you
find the climate gets milder until you
strike temperature that beats that of
southern California. l undertake to saw
that you can successfully grow tropical
fruits there and you will yet.
"While was at the hotel some time ago
man brought in bunch Of cherries that
WOlo sIOWu III SouIuSFu ~ baI, ana never
saw them thicker, better filled out or of
better flavor. AL this country is tributary
to Salt Lake,
"You have faith in the possibilities of
Utah SOIL" said the reporter, as Mr. Clarke
was inclined to cool down, fearing that he
might be mistaken for man with hobby,
but he again warmed up to his subject.
II cannot understand why Utah cannot
raise as good apples as they do in Oregon.
They are shipping apples from Portland
through your city to Denver, when they
ought to be grown here"
GA grapevine is not necessarily tropical
plant, no more than the apple tree 1t has
its spring, fail, summer and winter, no odds
where it is located This is noticeable in
the fruit growing countries of California.
In Napa, Sonora and Alameda where
recent vineyards have produced only small
quantities up to the present time,
they have the very best of quality
sufficient to deserve the highest
enconiums of praise from connoisseurs.
l have an idea that parts of this territory.
south OF here, if fair test and
trial is given, will demonstrate that the
Utah valleys are capable of greater results
in fruit culture"
MIR. Clarke suggests that grape cuttings
are inexpensive and that it would take hut
a few dollars for the farmers to make this
Il know" he continued, ''that nv road
runs through the prettiest country on Gods
green earth, and that if Salt Lake CITY will
look to Sanpete and the valleys of the
south as far as Dixie with that lon cling look
with which she directs her eyes to Cali
fornia, she will raise in her own borders
those products which she now relies upon
the Pacific slope to suppiy.n