Grapes. 235 



than an}' one else for Concord in Sunbury, because they were better than any in the 

 market, so every one said who bought and tasted them. Had the question been — 

 " What are the prospects of grape growing — will it be profitable?" I would have 

 answered — I think it will not be profitable. There are too many going into it ; be- 

 sides, many farmers are growing a few vines, and are bringing grapes to market, and 

 the prices are going down — down — down. If I can, after a year or two, average 5 

 cents per lb. for my grapes, I will be glad of it, and at that price I won't become 

 rich. I apprehended this, and have prepared myself for wine making. During last 

 summer I built a wine vault, arched of course, and well under ground. I reach it 

 by a perpendicular descent of 19 feet. Being deep, the wine will keep well. It 

 will hold from 10,000 to 15,000 gallons. I am now prepared to make wine. 



" The question now arises : Can I sell it at prices that will pay ? Is not the local 

 option law that is now about going into effect in our State, a lion in the way ? The 

 information we have from California and the Lake region, on the wine question, is 

 not encouraging — too much competition. Were my advice asked by one about going 

 into the grape business, I would say, don't do it. I should like to have the proceed- 

 ings of the convention about to assemble. Please let me hear from you on the grape 

 (juestion after the meeting. I had intended going to the convention, but am sorry I 

 can't spare the time. Repectfully yours, 



"Geo. B. Youngman." 



Question : " Has any Grape introductd since the Concord been generally reliable .*"' 



I think not, certainly not as far as my experience is concerned. I have tried a 

 great many of the varieties that have been brought out since the Concord, and have 

 never found any of them worth growing. A great many varieties are much superior 

 to tho Concord, and thousands and tens of thousands of the vines have been planted. 

 But go into the markets of our cities during the grape season. How many crates of 

 Adirondack, Allen's Hybrid, Diana, Diana Hamburg, lona, Rebecca, Maxatawny, 

 etc., etc., do you find? Not a great many, I think, but everywhere Concord, Con- 

 cord ! I have found nothing profitable in the way of table grapes except Hartford 

 and Concord, just because every one else plants the Concord. 



About the experiment in cultivation I spoke of, I will now explain. I think some 

 of the older members present may recollect my suggestion, some seven or eight years 

 ago, that I thought many of our native grapes would do better with less cultivation, 

 even growing them in sod, citing instances of vines growing in city yards, bricked all 

 over, so that the roots never see a particle of sunlight. I remember very well seeing 

 one or two noses going up at the very thought of growing grapes in grass, but the 

 following spring I put it in practice myself. I took the last two trellises in my vine- 

 yard, vines three years old, and sowed it thick with grass seed, and from that time 

 to this, there has never been a pound of manure put on it. I mow it once — about 

 the last of June or first of July — and let it rot on the ground, and now for the result. 

 There are 68 vines in the two rows, and they averaged 1,500 pounds of grapes for the 

 past four years. They are wine grapes, Clinton and Franklin. The Franklin is the 

 best wine grape we can grow in this part of the State, that is, I think so. I had 

 tried it in cultivated ground, and had seen others try it, but it made such an enor- 

 mous growth of wood, and but little or no fruit, so I determined to try my theory of 



