2S6 



The Grape Culturist. 



name to the Lake Shore Grape 

 Growers' Association. Its purpose 

 was to extend and improve the cul- 

 ture of the grape, and to aid in 

 elevating it to the high position -which 

 it occupies in Europe, Up to that 

 time, the large bod}^ of grape growers 

 had but crude ideas of the methods of 

 cultivation ; and, in the absence of 

 practical treatises adapted to the 

 American vine, they were compelled 

 to rel}', mainly, upon the teachings of 

 experience in long and often unsatis- 

 factory experiment. 



But, with the organization of that 

 association, a new impetus was given 

 to grape culture. Meetings wore hold 

 under its auspices, at which the ques- 

 tions of soil and situation, and the 

 methods of cultivation, training and 

 pruning, as aflfecting the prosperitj^ of 

 the vine and the perfection of its fruit, 

 were discussed. Excursions of grape 

 growers to the vineyards at different 

 localities, from the islands of Lake 

 Erie and Sandusky, Ohio, in the AVest, 

 to Dunkirk, N. Y., in the East, were 

 had during successive years. Exhibi- 

 tions of grapes and wines were had at 

 various places, at which the compara- 

 tive results of grape culture could be 

 seen, and standards of excellence es- 

 -^ablishcd ; and, through these instru- 

 mentalities, much needed information 

 was gained in the details of grai)e 

 culture. 



The undersigned have nothing to 

 say, except in commendation of the 

 motives and purposes of that associa- 

 tion, as its incepf.on, and during the 

 first years of its brief career. They 

 only regret, that, under its manage- 

 ment, the association has been grad- 

 ually losing sight of the broad prin- 



ciples which characterized its earlier 

 history ; and, with this, came a want 

 of material prosperity, a failure to 

 secure a public interest in its last an- 

 nual exhibition, and — a bankrupt 

 treasury. 



Such was the condition in which 

 the association found itself, when it 

 convened at Cleveland, O., in Febru- 

 ary last, on the occasion of its annual 

 meeting. There, as if to still farther 

 stultify itself, the members present 

 adopted a resolution to exclude wines 

 — the product of American grapes — 

 from the future exhibitions of the as- 

 sociation. Next followed a proposi- 

 tion, earnestly advocated, to do away 

 with the distinctive character of the 

 body as a grape growers' association, 

 by merging it into the Ohio State 

 Horticultural Society ; but as this ap- 

 peared to a majority of the members 

 present like a proposal to "strike their 

 colors," and a tacit confession that 

 there was not spirit enough among 

 grape growers to sustain an associa. 

 tion devoted to their interest, this ef- 

 fort proved abortive; and, then, with 

 the hope expressed that they might 

 secure a State appropriation to re- 

 plenish the cotfers of their associa- 

 tion, a resolution was offered and 

 adopted, to change its name to the 

 Ohio State Grape Growers' Associa- 

 tion. 



The undersigned do not wish to take 

 exception to the course pursued bj^ 

 the members of the association, pres- 

 ent on that occasion, further than to 

 suppose a reversal of the situation ; 

 and they would inquire, in what light 

 such a proceeding Avould have been 

 viewed, had the annual meeting been 

 held at Northeast, and a preponder- 



