68 THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 



CHAPTER m 



THE VITICULTURE OF NEW YORK 



The history of the viticulture of eastern United States shows that the 

 regions in which grapes have been most largely grown in the past have come 

 into prominence, had their day, and then suffered a decline. The reasons 

 for the more or less temporary character of grape regions are becoming 

 more and more apparent as our knowledge of grape-growing increases. 

 The grape, more than most other domesticated plants, is profoundly influ- 

 enced by climate, soil, cultural treatment, and insect and fungus pests. 

 In any region in which the grape succeeds at all well, conditions aie more 

 favorable at the start of the industry than later; this is especially true as 

 regards soils, and the insect and fungus pests. In a discussion of any phase 

 of grape culture, in a Inroad sense, the conditions under which the fruit is 

 grown must receive careful consideration. We therefore include in this 

 chapter a discussion of the characters which most strongly influence grapes 

 in vine, fruit and general adaptability; also a brief discussion of the regions 

 in which native grapes have been successfully grown in America; and, more 

 particularly, an account of the viticulture and the grape regions of New 

 York. 



In their wild state the various species of native grapes seem adapted 

 to a great diversity of soils and conditions. But under successful cultivation 

 varieties of the several species are confined to somewhat restricted regions 

 and even localities. Often a grape variety will succeed on one shore of a 

 lake or river and not on the other; on one slope of a hill but not another. 

 It is difficult to point out the determinants of successful grape culture. 

 Adaptability can be known positively in many cases only by trial; for 

 neither conditions of soil, nor climate, nor lay of land determines with 

 certainty the adaptability of a given locality. Oftentimes one variety 

 of a species may not be successful while another is completely so. Many 

 varieties reach perfection in one region or locality but not in another 

 though the conditions may seem very similar. So great is the influence 

 of local environment, oftentimes, that a variety grown in one locality 

 might not be recognized as the same grape when produced under other 

 conditions. 



