70 MANUAL OF AMERICAN GRAPE-GROWING 



tauqua grape-belt in western Xew York by the New York 

 x^gricultural Experiment Station. The test was carried on 

 for eleven years, during which time many interesting possibilities 

 in grafting grapes in this region came to light. It was proved 

 that the stock materially affects the vigor and productiveness 

 of the vine and the cjuality of the grapes. The following brief 

 account is taken from Bulletin Xo. 355 of the Xew York 

 Station : 



In this experiment a number of varieties were grafted on St. 

 George, Riparia Gloire and Clevener stocks, and a fourth 

 group on their own roots. The varieties grafted were : Agawam, 

 Barry, Brighton, Brilliant, Campbell Early, Catawba, Con- 

 cord, Delaware, Gofl", Herbert, lona, Jefferson, Lindley, ^Nlills, 

 X^iagara, Regal, Aergennes, Winchell and Worden. The 

 planting plan and all of the vineyard operations were those 

 common in commercial vineyards. » 



Yearly accounts of the vineyard show that the vines passed 

 through many vicissitudes. The experiment was started in 

 1902 when St. George and Riparia Gloire stocks from Cali- 

 fornia were set and grafted in the field. Many of these died 

 the first year. The winter of 190.3-04 was unusually severe, and 

 many more vines were either killed or so severely injured that 

 they died during the next two years. The vines on St. George, 

 a very deep-rooting grape, withstood the cold best. Fidia, 

 the grape root-worm, was found in the vineyards early in the 

 life of the vines and did much damage in some years. In the 

 years of 1907 and 1909 the crops were ruined by hail. 



But despite these serious setbacks it was evident throughout 

 the experiment that the grafted grapes made better vines and 

 were more productive than those on their own roots. As an 

 exain])le of the dift'ereiices in yield, a summary of the data for 

 191 1 may be given. In this year, an average of all the varieties 

 on own roots yielded at the rate of 4.39 tons to the acre ; on 

 St. George, 5.36 ton^^; on Gloire, 5.32 tons; on Clevener, 5.62 



