GRAPE 



GRAPE 



671 



a many of the Rogers hybrids are now planted. In 

 t southern states, from Texas to Georgia, the Niagara, 

 J'bemont, Cunningham, as also Norton Virginia and 

 ithiana, are most frequently wanted." L jj^ j^ 



Grapes in the North. Seeking a proper lo- 

 cation for Grapes in the northern states east 

 of the Rocky mountains, one should make a 

 distinction between Grapes planted for com- 

 mercial purposes and those planted for do- 

 mestic use. If for the former, the climatic 

 conditions must be so perfect that a crop can 

 be depended on each season with the same cer- 

 tainty as the appearance of the tax collector 

 or the annual interest on the mortgage. If 

 for the latter, the chances may be such as to 

 give a yield of Grapes three years out of five, 

 which is better than no Grapes at all. Any 

 section in which dent corn has a liberal season 

 in which to mature is a practicable place for 

 a household vineyard, provided the early 

 ripening varieties are selected. For this pur- 

 pose, for black or deep purple, may be sug- 

 gested Moore Early and Worden. During the 

 past three years the Campbell is often favor- 

 ably mentioned. For white or pale green, the 

 Green Mountain, sometimes called the Win- 

 chell, and for red the Brighton, are good 

 varieties. 



The best location for a commercial vine- 

 yard is along the shores of our lakes or large 

 rivers. The advantage of such locations is 

 due almost entirely to protection from late 

 and early frosts. During the early develop- 

 ment of the Grape industry, many loose ideas 

 were prevalent that certain spots within the 

 different Grape zones had some special magic 

 of sunshine, or temperature, or draught of 

 air, or alchemy of the soil, that gave such 

 ,. u 'cut- su P erior quality of fruit. The earlier vine- 

 *;ig of yards at Hammondsport, N. Y., were planted 

 ape. upon steep hillsides so steep that terraces 

 were sometimes formed, which made culti- 

 llion and harvesting expensive. Such locations were 

 |tt>ably considered superior to all others because 

 see one had seen Grapes grown in similar locations 

 &} g the Rhine. It was also said that the west bank 

 ol;he lake was superior because the Grapes received 

 tl morning sun. Henry O. Fairchild, a pioneer and 

 p^ressive vineyardist, in time proved the foolish- 

 pis of the idea by planting a vineyard on the east 

 si of the lake, where the lay of the land made cultiva- 

 i more easy and the Grapes received the afternoon 

 i In later years, when the Grapes from either shore 

 reached the market, no consumer 

 could tell whether the fruit received 

 the morning or afternoon sun. The 

 first vineyards planted in the Lake 

 Erie belt were at Brocton,Chautuaqua 

 county. The industry clung about 

 that initial location many years, for 

 it was a popular belief that there was 

 some special current of air passing 



63. 

 ( nmon 



4. Cleft-grafting 

 the Grape. 



963. Cleft-grafting the Grape, 



e hills to the lake at that special point that did not 

 ?f > elsewhere. Now there are more than 25,000 acres 

 C^ineyard planted between Silver Creek and Haroor 

 Di?k, and the yield of that area for the season of 1899 

 W about 7,000 car loads. The only marked difference 



43 



of Grape product in all that area is the difference 

 between the conscientious and the careless packer. If 

 there was ever any reason for such an idea as the 

 quality of fruit being influenced by location, it was prob- 

 ably due to the inexperience of some outside planter, 

 which led him to put up too much or too little wood, and 

 imperfect ripening of the fruit was the result. The con- 

 clusion was jumped at that the difference was due to a 

 heaven-born blessing of location, instead of good judg- 



966. Grapes ruined by black rot. 



ment in pruning. It is the common thing for writers to 

 lay much stress on "southern slopes" and "sunny 

 slopes," but in most cases they have said so because 

 some one has said so before them, and not because they 

 spoke from experience. Scarcely an acre of the 25,000 

 planted to vineyards in the Chautauqua belt but faces 

 the north, and is in full view of Lake Erie, as the seats 

 of a theater face the stage. 



There is one feature of location upon which much 

 stress must be laid, even in the lake zones, and that is 

 opportunity for frost drainage. It is a well attested fact 

 that the cold air settles in the bottom of a valley; there- 

 fore, the bottom of a ravine is usually colder in frosty 

 nights than the hillside. It often happens that a late 

 spring or early fall frost will injure Grapes in the lower 

 location, and not on the slopes. This is a factor that 

 planters of all fruit should observe. 



There has been as much nonsense written about the 

 best soils for Grapes as there has been about best loca- 

 tion. One has a vineyard planted on the gravel of what 

 was once the beach of Lake Erie, when it had a higher 

 level than at present. His neighbor across the road has 

 a vineyard planted on a very stiff clay, which was once 

 the bottom of the lake. One gets just as large yields 

 and just as fine quality of fruit as the other. The only 

 difference is that the former, being on the gravel, is able 

 to work his soil earlier than the latter ; his fruit 

 ripens earlier, so that he is able to borrow all of the 

 neighbor's harvesting tools. Another neighbor has a 

 vineyard extending across both clay and gravel, and 

 he would not sell one acre cheaper than another. In 

 commercial planting, the period of protection from 

 frosts should be broad enough so that the difference in 

 ripening from gravel or clay should not make a dif- 

 ference of success or failure. For domestic planting, 

 the gravel would be preferable. The soils of which most 

 serious warning should be given are those containing a 

 very liberal supply of available nitrogen. All experienced 

 fruit-growers know of the impossibility of early fruiting 

 of trees or vines which are making a rampant growth. 

 There is no fruit so easily intoxicated by nitrogen as 

 the Grape. Long-jointed canes are always to be avoided. 

 Besides being less fruitful, a riotous growth of Grape 

 vine is far more liable to mildew and to other diseases 

 than those of sober growth. One of the surprises in the 



