Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-06
VXT ASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 31.-W
. will grapes sell for this fall?


That is a question which is pain
fully agitating thousands of men who own
vineyards, some of whom have staked their
whole fortune on the grapevine. To less
extent it is troubling all of the dealers and
middlemen who have to do with the distri-
button Of the grape crop.
Prohibition has converted the growing and
selling of grapes from quiet stable indus
try into wild and speculative one. The vine
yardist once a peaceful and contented fell
low, has become an excited and distraught
one, who alternately dreams of fabulous
wealth and quakes at the threat of bank
ruptcy
The answer to the all-important question,
as to what price he should get for his grapes,
formerly came from few large dealers.
Ninety-tWo per cent of the grapes grown in
America are grown in California, and most
of these are wine grapes. The rest are raisin
grapes, also grown IN California, and the
Concord grapes grown in few eastern states
and sold for table consumption and for the
making of grape juice Hence the wine MAX
ers and the grape juice makers took the
great bulk of the grape crop every year at
a fixed figure. The market was sure and the
price did not vary greatly.
When the threat of prohibition doomed
large, the grape growers saw in it nothing
but prospective ruin. 1ney fought it with all
their might, and went down to bitter, howl
ing defeat. A year ago last spring, vineyards
men who had the song bought lot Of them.
Fall came with large crop of grapes. 1t
brought also an army Of buyers. Before pro-
hibition the price of wine grapes had varied
from $40 to $40 ton, and the price OF
Concord grapes from $50 to $40 ton. With
the manufacture of wine prohibited by an
amendment to the federal constitution, and
with the manufacture of grape juice greatly
reduced by high tax, grapes began to sell
at from $65 ton up. Especially up. Last
fall wine grapes were actually sold for as
high as 1925 ton.
Prohibition Miracle
The grape grower who had sold his vine
yard tore his hair. The man who had bought
it made the purchase price on single crop.
All concerned were reminded that they lived
in world where the incredible happens.
Prohibition, which was expected to render
the grape vine no more valuable than
gourd, had actually made grapes dearer per-
haps than they had ever been before in hui
man history.
There was never any doubt who bought
those grapes. They were bought by hundreds
of thousands of persons who made wine IN
their homes. 1t was estimated on pretty re-
liable information that IS per cent of the
rasin crop also went into the making of
hooch.
1t dawned upon the grape grower that if
he had lost one market, he had most GER
tainly gained another, apparently much larg-
er both as to capacity and price. Forthwith
there was a Loom in vineyards. Those that
had sold for a song year before were not
moved by anything less than a symphony
orchestra this spring. Thousands of acres
were planted in grapes. One man worth sew
eral millions has risked his whole fortune by
planting about 5000 acres.
Of course, none of these vineyards which
have just been planted will bear for three
or four years. but the crop this year has been
boosted in another way. Every year the
vines are pruned, and the amount of grapes
which vineyard will bear depends upon how
much wood" as the grape men say, is lett
on the vine. If too much wood is left a
large crop of grapes is produced but the vi
tally of the plant is injured. This is called
over-cropping. Nearly all of the grape-groW-
ers in the country have oVercropped their
vines this year in expectation of tremendous
prices again. Even so, late spring frosts have
cut their crops from 35 to so per cent.
Early grapes are just now beginning to
hit the market until the middle of the month.
An Uncertain Market
Meanwhile, throughout the business, there
is terrible suspense. So far there have been
scarcely any sales. There is no rush of buy
ers into the market such there was last
year. What is the reason? Presumably there
are Just as many home wine makers in the
country this year as last The crop is short,
and that should make for high prices. OF
course, times are bit hard. People have not
as much money to spend on luXuries as they
had last year. And yet it seems probable that
the man who made wine last year will make