Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-07-25
GIANT GRAPEVINE.
one Nine Feet In Circumference
Growing In California.

Ohe NINE rect IN CifcumrerenC0
Growing In California.
The garden like cove known as the
Carpinteria Valley, half encircled by
picturesque range of the Santa
Ynez Mountains. lies in Tyre shape by
the great sea whose tides smite the
strands into ceaseless symphonies In
this valley stands the worlds greatest
grapevine, wonder of its kind ac'
knowledged by every one fortunate
enough to pay it visit. Santa Bar
bara County is entitled to distinction
for the production of three giant
vines, among which ia VIVA Grande"
at Carpinteria easily holds the first
place as to size and fruitage.
In the Montecito Valley, ten miles
to the northwest, two out of this peer
less trio have been grown. One was
removed to the Centennial Exposition
in Philadelphia, in which city it re-
mains on public exhibition. The 9TH
er died few years ago, and its trunk
was placed on exhibition in the Cham
Der of Commerce in Santa Barbara.
Each of these two attained only two
thirds the magnificent proportions of
the one now thriftily growing at Car
pinteria.
Sixty-four years ago Spanish wo-
man named Joaquin Lugodi Avala
planted small twig of the Mission
grape. She watched and tended it
with jealous care through its early
growth, and in later years kept it
neatly trellised and trimmed. I'm
Willingly she was rearing prodigy
that was to eclipse everything of its
kind in all the civilized world.
Some twenty years ago the vine
was purchased with a plot of ground
by Jacob Wilson, who has since de-
MED it further compass by keeping it
constantly pruned. Its present meas
urements, however, are by no means
uninteresting. At the ground the
giant trunk measures feet 8 inches
in circumference. Five feet above the
ground it has a girth of Z feet IL
inches. At height of six feet the
trunk branches into five divisions,
which radiate in different directions.
These five branches have combined
circumference of IA feet II inches. the
smallest measuring 2 feet, and the
largest feet inches. Within a
radius of Is feet from the trunk there
are twenty-nine subdivisions or rum
ners, each measuring from 10 to %
! inches in circumference, together
with countless smaller branches. The
longest runner at present reaches the
enormous distance of 76 feet.
The trellis, which is entirely over
spread, is 100 by ITO feet in dimen-
sions, embracing an area of approxi-
mately one-fourth of an acre. A COM
pany of eight hundred people is said
to have at one time found shade be-
meath the umbragous branches.
The vine is still in a healthy state
/ of growth, and if permitted to do so
bids fair to further enlarge itself by
many square rods. The largest crop
ever yet actually weighed out was
ten tons, in 1895. This did not in
clude miscellaneous contributions to
visitors and friends of the proprietor.
A common estimate of the entire yield
was $4,000 pounds. The larger clust-
ers are reported to have weighed from
nine to ten pounds each. Various ex-
position associations have rendered
handsome sums for the possession of
this queenly planting, where its ripen-
ing clusters may still be kissed into
juicy sweetness by the autumn suns
of Southern California, and the gentle
breezes of the sea may still whisper
among its leaves as in the days when
Spanish lovers met to WOO and be
wooed beneath the tender boughs of
the young 'Vina Grande. LOS Ange-
les Times.