20 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-OROWJNG 



The Niagara region. 



Fifty miles due north of the Chautauqua belt, across the end 

 of Lake Erie and the narrow isthmus of Niagara, is a smaller 

 belt on the southern shore of Lake Ontario so similar in soil, 

 climate and topography that in these respects the two regions 

 might be considered as identical. This is the Niagara region, 

 Canada's chief grape-producing area. It is bounded on the 

 north by Lake Ontario ; on the south, at a distance of one to 

 three miles by the high Niagara escarpment ; to the east it 

 crosses the Niagara River into New York; and in the west 

 tapers to a point at Hamilton on the westward extremity of 

 Lake Ontario. Here, again, is the influence of climate dis- 

 tinctly manifested. As this belt passes into New York, it widens 

 and the influence of Lake Ontario is less and less felt to the 

 eastward, and in consequence grape-growing becomes less and 

 less profitable. 



There were, according to the Ontario Bureau of Industries, 

 in 1914, about 10,850 acres of grapes in the Niagara region in 

 Canada, and possibly 4,000 acres more near the Niagara River 

 and along the shore of Lake Ontario in New York. The 

 Niagara grape originated on the American side of the Niagara 

 region and is here planted more extensively than elsewhere. 

 Grape-growing in this region is similar in all respects to that of 

 the Chautauqua belt, the same varieties and nearly identical 

 methods of pruning, cultivation, spraying and harvesting being 

 employed. The crop is chiefly used as table-grapes but the 

 grape-juice industry is growing. 



The Central Lakes region of New York. 



In the central part of western New York are several remark- 

 able bodies of water known as the Central Lakes. Three of 

 these are large and deep enough to give ideal climatic condi- 

 tions for grapes, and about these lakes are grouped several im- 



