THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK.. 93 



of Lake Erie. The Niagara escarpment may be seen well at Levviston 

 from which point it stretches eastward toward Lockport and westward 

 into Ontario. The escaq^ment may be traced to the eastern end of 

 Lake Ontario where it disappears and the Erie and Ontario plains merge 

 into one. In the grape-growing counties the Ontario plain varies from 

 four to nine miles in width. 



The plain is more or less rolling throughout its entire length; but in 

 few places are the hills too steep for fruit-growing. The soils are sands', 

 gravelly, or clay loams varying greatly in fertility and in adaptability for 

 tlie grape. In parts of the district the soils are stony and shaly. They 

 belong, so far as they have been studied, to the Dunkirk series and are 

 therefore quite similar to those of the Chautauqua district. 



The climate, too, is much like that of the Chautauqua district. The 

 average midwinter temperature is comparatively high; the summer tem- 

 perature is equable; and the precipitation of rain and dew light as compared 

 with inland areas. The influence of the escarpment is not so marked in 

 the Niagara district as in the Chautauqua belt. A remarkable feature of 

 the climate of this district is that killing frosts rarely occur before the close 

 of October, giving a long maturing and harvesting season for the grape. 

 In the winter the daily range of temperature is small owing not only to 

 the influence of the water but to the fact as well that this season is a period 

 of great cloudiness for the region. 



In Erie County much of the product of the southern part is marketed 

 with that of Chautauqua County but to the north, Buft'alo makes a splendid 

 local market. Several varieties are grown for the home market but chiefly 

 the Concord and the Niagara. These are packed in the various styles of 

 climax baskets and in slatted crates — the latter for the home making of 

 wine. The fruit is carted to the market by the grower, or purchased in 

 the field, in the case of wine-making, by the consumer. 



Niagara County is the home of the Niagara grape and this variety 

 is grown here almost exclusivelw The product is sold v'ery largely by the 

 grower in the open markets of Buffalo and Niagara Falls and is packed in 

 the several sizes of climax baskets. In the counties to the east of Niagara 

 the product, almost exclusively Niagaras, is sold at Rochester or neigh- 

 boring towns or shipped to the large eastern cities. I\Iucli of this fruit is 



