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The Grape Culturist. 



Correspondence of the Detroit Free Pi'ess. 



GEAPP: - GROWING IN THE YICINITY OF MONEOE. 



A LARGK NUMBKR OF ACRES UNDER CULTIVATION — THE LARGE AND INCREASING 

 IMPORTANCE OF THE BUSINESS. 



Monroe, Oct. 24. 



There are few people in the State, 

 if indeed in our own county, who 

 have any adequate idea of the extent 

 ai\d importance to which the cultiva- 

 tion of grapes and the -manufacture of 

 wine has attained in and around Mon- 

 roe. Although yet in its infancy, the 

 business has assumed no mean propor- 

 tions, and it is no more thaa a reason- 

 able prediction to saj- that it must 

 within a few years overshadow in vol- 

 ume that of the Lake Islands, whose 

 products have become so widely 

 known, while the qualities of fruit 

 and wine already produced here ai*e 

 acknowledged to be without superiors 

 in any part of the West, except Cali- 

 fornia alone. 



Seven years ago last spring the first 

 vines were set, and an experimental 

 vineyard started by J. M. Sterling, 

 Ksq., who subsequently obtained a 

 large tract of land and organized the 

 Point au Peau Wine Compan3^ This 

 experiment of seven years ago con- 

 sisted of only five hundred roots, one- 

 half being Isabellas and one-half Con- 

 cord. But one year was necessary to 

 show that the Isabellas were a failure 

 and the Concords a decided success. 

 This little venture formed the nucleus 

 of the present flourishing and profit- 

 able vine^-ard^ and the immense busi- 

 ness of which I propose to give you a 

 short sketch. Mr. C. Bruckner and 

 Jos. Sedlaezek were among the first 



to appreciate the advantages offered 

 by our soil and climate for grape cul- 

 ture, and gave the subject much study 

 and entered upon a variety of experi- 

 ments. Graduallj^ a large number of 

 others followed in the wake of these 

 gentlemen, with more or less exten- 

 sive preparations to become vinters. 

 Along the borders of the lake, baj's 

 and streams, the soil seems peculiarly 

 adapted to the business, and the at- 

 mosphere equally as favorable as that 

 of the islands. The varieties which 

 are most largely cultivated are the 

 Concords, Delawares and Catawbas 

 respectively, the former largely pre- 

 dominating, owing to the prolific 

 yield and hardy nature of the vines, 

 the earlv ripening of the fruit and the 

 greater adaptation to wine making. 



The Point au Peau Wine Companj- 

 own about fourteen acres of land at 

 the point from which it derives its 

 name, (being a point of land extend- 

 ing into the lake a short distance,) 

 about six miles north of the city, of 

 which about twelve acres are occupied 

 by bearing vines ; these are of two. 

 three, four, five, six and seven 3"ears 

 of age, yielding very largely fruit of 

 excellent (juality, specimens of which 

 as well as of their wine, were on ex- 

 hibition at the State Fair, and re- 

 eived several premiums. This year 

 about eighty-six thousand pounds 

 (forty-three tons I) of grapes were 

 gathered, of the following varieties : 



