86 Ameiican Horticultural Society. 



Later on, whon Europe became civilized, the peaceful cultivation of the 

 grape kept pace with the other arts of husbandry, it having been introduced 

 by the Komans into Gaul at about the beginning of the Christian era. Be- 

 fore this vines were found growing wild in Sicily and other islands of the 

 Mediterranean, as well as on the coasts of Southern Europe. 



This industry was brought to a high state of perfection wherever situation, 

 soil, and climate were congenial for them, for there, as here in our land, every 

 spot is not adapted to their perfection. The favored localities in France, 

 Germany, Hungary, and other parts of Europe, are too well known to re- 

 quire mention here. 



Now to our own land. When the vinedressers of Europe, particularly of 

 France and Germany, sought these shores for their future home, they 

 naturally brought with them their love for the cultivation of the grape, and, 

 as is their custom, adapted themselves to the material in hand. Everywhere 

 the bountiful hand of nature had planted native vines quite at home in every 

 latitude, climbing high up among the ujiper branches of the trees support- 

 ing them, where the benignant sunlight bathed their spreading foliage and 

 ripened their diminutive clusters as far as possible, to be finished by the 

 rude hand of early frosts. Looking among these, the frost varieties, there 

 seemed to be but little encouragement. 



The native fox varieties promised better results, being larger fruited and 

 quite hardy. Improvements followed. There came up the Clinton, evi- 

 dently descended from i\v^ frost varieties, also the Isabella, Catawba, and 

 Cape or Alexander from the fox varieties. 



With the Isabella there seemed encouragement enough for vineyard cul- 

 ture, and many were the vines thus planted. It is remembered when al- 

 most every person in our city of Cleveland had one or more Isabella vines 

 under the shadow of which they could sit and enjoj^ the abundant crop. 

 When there were but three or four feet of space between the houses a grape- 

 vine would be sure to climb up to the roof, where convenient trelises would 

 accommodate the spreading canes and the pure, unclouded sunlight pour 

 down upon the healthy foliage. In these days crops of several hundred 

 pounds from one vine were not unusual when that vine had abundance of 

 room. The prevailing price of 12 to 15 cents per pound would pay the 

 growers very handsomely ; thus, in a few years these vines often produced 

 more cash than the humble thirty-foot lot cost the owners. 



Alas ! this state of things has passed. With the advent of coal for fuel, the 

 unwholesome, smoky atmosphere, the gas, and intermingled fumes of sul- 

 phuric acid, have caused these vines to perish one by one, to the great sur- 

 prise of their friends. 



About the years of 1840 to 1855 fine vineyards were cultivated with profit 

 along the Ohio river, in which the eminent N. Longworth, of Cincinnati, 

 took a personal interest, and to his honor be it said, he spared neither time 

 money, nor energy to aid this industry. He imported many varieties of 

 vines from Europe, which, after careful tests, proved unsuitable and entirely 

 worthless for our climate, and were abandoned. 



