The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-11-07
Failure of This Crop Has Cost Nau-
VOC Grape Growers Near Half
Million Dollars This
Year.
VERY LITTLE MARKETED
Nauvoo VIII Not Recover From
Blow for Another Twelve Months
Fall Trade to be
Light.

The failure of the grape crop this
year meant loss of S412,650 to the
residents of Nauvoo H. 1t was almost
a total failure to the grape growers of
that vicinity, for only $3.50 in grapes
was marketed this year, -'hile usually
the gross returns on grapes and wine
is about $4,000.
While grape growers everywhere
lost almost the entire crop this year,
the failure was not felt except in local
tiles such as Nauvoo, where the coun-
try is adapted to grape growing and
it is the principal crop, AT other places
the land owner had corn and other
products to help them over until an
other crop is marketed, but the ma
jority of grape growers of Nauvoo
have no such side issues.
AT Nauvoo alone the loss is over
100000. Early last spring the Maui
VOC residents watched the grape vines
anxiously. 1t looked as if the grapes
would survive the frost, but it was ev-
ident that the crop was cut in two.
The growers hoped on, expecting halt
a crop. Later in the year they cut that
estimate in two again, but it was des-
tined to be cut down again until the
highest any expected was an eighth,
but when the grapes ripened, the re-
suit showed less than one-fifty seventh
of a crop.
There are about 1000 acres in the
grape vineyards of Nauvoo. In a nor
NAL year the yield is usually three
tons to the acre, or a total of about
100000 pounds of grapes. The value
OF these grapes is usually about $780,
! 600. /.
The natural fruit is marketed and
considerable is made into wine when
the crop is good. Every year Nauvoo
turns out about $4,000 gallons of high
grade wine. AS - pounds of grapes
go into gallon of wine, about 100000
pounds of grapes are used in the man
| ufacture. A number of the growers
make their own wine, but the larger
concerns buy the product of other
! vineyards.
I While good percentage of the
grapes usually go into wine, about five
sixths of the crop is marketed as il
comes from the vineyards. The grapes
are packed in baskets of seven pounds
each and shipped out. In norma
year about 125 car loads are shipped
A car load of grapes consists of 5000
baskets.
But this year it was different. The
4 quality of the grapes was low and the
fruit was not good enough to be made
into wine. hence none of the product
was marketed in that form. The ship
ping fell off SO that it was hardly no
ticeable. Instead of the usual 125 cal
loads. Nauvoo only sent out cal
leads this year. the total value o.
which was about $3.50.
The owner of three or four acre
vineyard who usually received abou
$1,000 for his crop, this year, if he go
his share, received a total of only sos
less than the amount of labor put OF
during the year
AS Nauvoo is without a railroad, al
the shipping is by water or by team
ing to the nearest railroad station
This winter will be an extremely quie
one for the town as no one has an,
money to spend. Everyone had fel
the pinch. The Nauvoo Independent
in regard to the situation says:
with scarcely any grapes in Nau
VOC, it is a very quiet fall here. Th'
Low ic al in, III,
nels. A good grape crop usual,
makes lively times here for three O
fouI. weeks and great deal of none.
is distributed in the community Blu
this year IT is indeed different. Their,