324 The Vineyards of Vineland. 



THE VINEYARDS OF VINELAND. 



By Philip Snyder. President of the Vineland Horticultural Society. 



So much is said and written about grapes, — and very justly, — tliat 

 something as to their success in Vineland w^ill naturally be of general 

 interest to the readers of the Journal of Horticulture. 



First, it should be remembered that before 1S63 there were no grapes 

 here except wild ones. In the second place, it should also be remem- 

 bered that this is not, in general, a settlement of experienced fruit 

 growers. On the contrary, the majority were without experience until 

 they removed here. Not many — at least of the earlier settlers — 

 brought any large amounts of capital with them, though now this 

 fashion is somewhat changing. As a consequence, the conditions, so 

 far as they relate to individuals, have not been entirely favorable to the 

 earliest possible development of the grape growing capacities of the 

 place. As no land was sold before October, 1861, the earliest planted 

 vineyard must date its first growing season not farther back than the 

 spring of 1S63. But there was little emigration then, and not many 

 could have been planted before the seasons of 1S63 and 1S64. Even 

 these were quite few, as most of the vineyards with which I am ac- 

 quainted, and which are now most prominent for their success, were 

 planted as late as 1866. These, consequently, have been cultivated 

 during four seasons only. Of course no one knows what may be their 

 success in the future, but so fiar the results are every way encouraging, 

 at least for the Concord. The other varieties are sparingly planted, 

 because not proved to be so profitable. The Hartford does fairly ; the 

 Catawba fairly in some seasons only ; the Clinton always well, and is 

 really a palatable grape here, making a good wine without sugar, and 

 yielding heavy crops. 



Mr. J. S. Warren made thirty gallons of Clinton wine in 186S, and 

 during the next season, on the recommendation of one of our physi- 

 cians, he sold it all in the place for medicinal uses at from three dollars 

 to three dollars and a half per gallon. In 1869 he made three hundred 



