New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
ers: but immense vineyards suddenly sprang


and the fierce competition thus started made
growing them IN the older localities often I'M
profitable. the trade has gradually shifted to the
western part OF the state. that this year
about all Of the grapes will be received from the
country around Lake Keuka. Here hundreds
and hundreds Of planted with the
vines, and the harvesting Of the grape crop -
the occupation of the people for miles around
the two principal shipping places. Penn Yam at
end Of the lake and Hammondsport at the
other
EXPERT GRAPE-HANDLERS
Just as in the wool section expert shearers
can be 10 md here men and women who
make business OF cutting. sorting and packing
the grapes for market The usual way for the
crop to be sent to New-York is for some large
wholesale house to send buyer out in the seq
ton. who goes from vineyard to vineyard.
selecting and purchasing. The pickcrs ana
packers then begin the work of gathering ths
punches. and they carried 10 the large pack
ing-houses of the NewYork firm out in tho
country: here the women sort them, and ar
range the better quality in the small baskets
and the others in the trays or boxes for shipping
to New-York Fast freight by railroad is the
method employed to get them here. as the profit
is seldom sufficient to warrant paying express
the slower way of transportation. The cars
containing the grapes brought by the rail
road company to of the many piers along
the North River front. and sometimes when the
demand Is great enough they are disposed of in
car lots by auction or else they will be un-
packed and the baskets taken TO the stores and
sold from there
Among the first grapes to come to the market
/ 10 ba Ea somewhat
the time-honored Concord, but as il grows
abundantly in the Southern States and ripens
earlier and in larger and closer clusters It often
commands much better price than that other
dark blue grape the Concord. which soon fol-
lows it, while that popular little deep-red grape
which grows in small. tight clusters and has a
sweetness all it's own the Delaware. comes a
week or so later Besides these three are the
Salem and the Isabella, which have been in the
market many years, and Of the newer varieties
those with the greenish yellow skin. such as
the Niagara the Rebecca and the Martha. are
cultivated in great quantities. the Niagara being
the best selling Of them all. The Catawba IS
one of the last to ripen and be sent to market
The grapes which come from the South early
in the season. generally the last of July and TN
first of August. are packed in small. rectansu'
lar baskets. holding either six or eight pounds
eight of them being placed in a case, or car
rier," as it is technically known. Those fror
New-York State are sent in two ways. the ones
designed for table use being packed in the small
hand baskets and are disposed Of by the pack
age in large quantities. and afterward retailcd
by the single basket. They are in convenient
size for family use and Of a shape which packs
/ adyantageously for transportation. 80 that
handling the fruit is avoided from the time 1t
is cut from the vine and carefully placed in the
basket until it is put on the table of the con-
sumner.
POORER QUALITIES AND THEIR USES.
However. large quantities If grapes are each
year shipped to market in bulk on large trays
this being the way the poorer qualities are sem
and some years when the crop is large the sur
plus stock are also sent in this way Such
grapes are sold BY the pound to the vine ana
vinegar merchants and to the Italians. Bone
mians and Hebrews who live on the East side
of New-York and in the adjoining cities. Tor
wine Sometimes much as n whole ton OF
these grapes will be purchased for this purpose
by a single family. When the price is low. As 1t
is in the years the crop is heavy. these foreign
BUYERS will take them a. long as the supply
lasts so much DO hey prize this homemade
wine Grapes in this way sell from SD 70 go ,
ton. according to quality and supply
The yield this year along the lake is fine and
there is more than an average crop. but up the
Hudson River the grapes are almost complete
failure The late froSts last spring. followed ny
the cold damp weather, damaged the grapes, ~
il did all the other fruits. that the farmers
have not only been deprived of their berries and
peaches. but the later crops. apples, pears