CULTURE OF THE AMERICAN GRAPE IN 



OREGON 



By Hon. ^^'. K. Xewell. President of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture. 



The first grapevine planted in Oregon, so far as known, was an Isabella 

 brought across the plains by Henderson Lewelling in 1847 and set out by 

 him at his place in Milwaukie in the spring of 1848. Hence the grape has 

 been grown here for sixty years, but only in the last twenty years on a 

 commercial scale. From a Inillotin, "The Grape in Oregon," written by 

 Professor E. R. Lake and published by the Oregon Experiment Station, I 

 quote: 



"While the world at large is most familiar with the history of the 

 European grape (vitis vinifera), the history of the development of the 

 American grape (vitis labrusca, and other species), which is at present 

 receiving much attention by specialists, is even more interesting to the 

 American horticulturist than that of its old world congener, for the reason 

 that, except for parts of California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and as 

 a special type for indoor culture, the European variety is not suitable to 

 American climatic conditions. 



"All the varieties of our American type of grapes have come originally 

 from the wild grapes that grow abundantly throughout the Middle, 

 Northern and Southern States, and they are generally divided into four 

 distinct classes. 



"First. The Northern Fox Grape class, vitis labrusca. It is the vari- 

 eties of this class upon which the growers of this valley must chiefly rely. 

 To this class belong the Isabella, Catawba, Concord, Word en, Moore's 

 Early, Eaton, Niagara, Green Mountain, Brighton, Vergennes, Lady Wash- 

 ington, and a great many others. 



"Second. The Sumner Grape class, vitis aestivalis. Only a few of this 

 class are good for the table, but they are valuable for wine. One variety 

 of this class, the Centennial, is a dull, yellowish-white grape; a good bearer; 

 bunches of good size; berries somewhat below medium, but sweet and de- 

 licious. Though it ripens with the Concord,, it can be kept until the new 

 year. 



"Third. The Riverside Grape class, vitis riparia. A few varieties of 

 this class are good. The Empire State, a white grape that bears well; 

 bunches, long; berry, medium, very sweet. The Elvira, another white 

 grape; wonderfully productive; bunches, rather small; good for wine-mak- 

 ing. Then there are many hybrids among the various classes, some of 

 which are very fine, as the Salem, Agawam, Wilder and many others, but 

 these are not "go reliable and saleable as the Concord and the Niagara. 



"Fourth. The Southern Fox Grape class, vitis vulpina. None of this 

 class can be successfully grown in our climate. 



"Those varieties that have been successfully grown here (the Willamette 

 Valley) will be named here: 



"The Concord. This is the grape for everybody; large, strong-shouldered 

 bunches of big, black, sweet berries of the fine native flavor that all 

 Americans like so well. It is very productive and always a sure bearer. 

 Sevenyear-old vines have borne more than thirty pounds each. 



"The Worden. A black grape like the Concord: bunches larcre and 

 heavy; berries larger than the Concord and rather better in quality; 

 ripens about ten days before the Concord and is fully as productive. 



