644 THE FRTIT INDUSTRY IN XEW YORK STATE 



011 profitably, the fruit plantations, as a rule, receiving the best 

 of care. 



ONTARIO SHORE 



This district covers the whole of the plain along the shore of 

 Lake Ontario from the valley of the St. Lawrence to the Xiagara 

 River, extending from the lake on the north several miles inland 

 to an escarpment of limestone about (300 feet above the sea. 

 The plain is broken up by a series of parallel hills the 

 drumlins of the geologists. It differs from the preceding district 

 chiefly in the matter of soils. Several distinct types of soils 

 found in the Ontario Shore district seem to be well suited to all 

 tree fruits. The soil is mostly sandy or loamy, and is easily 

 drained and worked. Soil and climatic conditions are such that 

 trees are large, productive, and long-lived, and the fruit is of 

 excellent quality. 



While the apple is the leading fruit, peaches, pears, plums, 

 and cherries are all important commercial crops more peaches, 

 at least, being raised here than in any other district. Greater 

 or less quantities of grapes and all of the small fruits are grown. 

 The great nursery industry is centered here, with Rochester as 

 headquarters, though much of the stock, is grown in the Central 

 Lakes region about Geneva and Dansville. Generally speaking, 

 fruit growing is more highly specialized and better practiced in 

 this than in any other of the pomological regions of Xew York. 



ERIE SHORE 



This name is given the plain along the shore of Lake Erie from 

 the Niagara River to the western boundary of the state a very 

 narrow strip of land bounded on the south by a high escarpment 

 and gradually descending beneath the lake level on the north. 

 This district is largely given up to grape growing, the culture 

 of this fruit being by far the most important pursuit of the 

 region. The district is perhaps better known as the " Chautauqua 

 Grape Belt," far famed for its Concord grapes produced for the 

 general market and for the manufacture of grape juice. There 

 are in this region about 35,000 acres of grapes the largest area 

 of native grapes under cultivation anywhere now growing. 



