•2fi4 



The Grape Culturist. 



TIIR LEADING VARTETIKS AT SANDUSKY AND THE ISLANDS. 



BY M. II. LEWIS. 



As we have now iiearh' passed the 

 time of possible iujiuy to the ^rape 

 ci'op tVoiu rot, that ii;i'eatest scoui'ge 

 with us, I may safely attemjit to fore- 

 cast the gains and losses for the com- 

 ing fall. 



Early in May rains began, and have 

 had little cessation since. We have 

 now, the 12th of August, the tirst 

 seven days' respite for over four 

 months. More rain fell in May than 

 for the same time the past ten 3'ears. 

 During the very height of our bloom- 

 ing season, from the l8th to the 27th 

 of June, inclusive, we have to report 

 a rain fall of 6.90 inches. Accom- 

 panying such wet weather during May, 

 and even till mid June, was remarkablj^ 

 low temperature — in fact, as late as 

 the 10th of June there was narrow 

 e8ca2)e from frost on our shore. But 

 the latter part of this month had 

 many hot days, the sun ablaze, and 

 the air murky, close. 



The vines of all varieties made 

 strong growth, and though ver}- late, 

 bloomed heavily and so well timed as 

 to quite generally escape great injury 

 from dashing showers. The Norton 

 was especiall}^ an exception; for, when 

 in tuU flower, a succession of heavy 

 rains washed away the pollen, and the 

 whole crop, nearly, in this wa}' was 

 blasted in a da}'. For the Catawba, 

 which filled all with high hopes by its 

 full setting, there was calamity in the 

 air. As last 3'eai-, following those wet 

 and hot days, mildew suddenly devel- 

 oped upon the berries, now shot size, 

 and in many cases swept off two-thirds. 



and in most from one-(iuarter to one- 

 half the crop of this variety. The 

 affected parts were at first a gray and 

 then a brown, speedily withering upon 

 the stem ; the leaves not generally af- 

 fected with mildew in the least ; and it 

 was connnonly noted that during all 

 this excessively wet weather there was 

 unusual freedom from mildew upon the 

 young shoots and foliage of this, and 

 even of the kinds usually most subject, 

 as lona, Isabella, etc. 



Kelley's Island, Put-in-Bay and Mid- 

 dle Bass Island have suffered severely 

 from both mildew and rot. But Point- 

 au-Pelee, Catawba Island, the Penin- 

 sula, and the stiff clay vineyards of the 

 main land, have much less reason to 

 complain. Many in these localities 

 will harvest a fair crop of Catawbas. 

 The black soils of the main land will 

 scarcely yield half the cost of attendance. 



The stoiy of the other varieties is 

 quickly told. The Isabella met loss 

 early b}' mildew in the bunches, but 

 will yit-ld well. The Concord, Ives and 

 Delaware have been anxiously watched, 

 as generallj' among cultivators here 

 these have been looked upon as sup- 

 planters of our main planting, the 

 Catawba. The Concord has lost only 

 slightly by mildew, somewhat more by 

 rot. Some few, indeed, have a sorrier 

 tale to tell of it, but the average crop is 

 good, and confidence in it is increased. 



The few vineyards in bearing of Ives 

 realize all or even more than was ex- 

 pected of them. They did not mildew, 

 nor so far rotted, but the bunches 

 would have been fuller but for the rains 



I 



I 



