136 america:n" grape growikO 



not less than 5,000 acres were set in three or four years. 

 But much of this planting was unwisely done — on badly 

 chosen soil and with little preparation — so that nearly 

 one-half the amount never paid the cost, and was sooner 

 or later abandoned. In many parts of the interior of the 

 State, smaller vineyards were also planted in those years, 

 mostly of the Concord variety, the fruit designed chiefly 

 for market. In a few hilly localities in the south-eastern 

 quarter of the State, vineyards of moderate extent are 

 cultivated successfully for wine ; the varieties, Catawba, 

 Norton, and Ives. Within the past three or four years 

 many of the Concord vineyards, which had previously 

 been quite successful, have had their fruit destroyed by 

 the rot, so that the owners are much discouraged, and 

 some have grubbed out their vines. 



With all these causes of failure, I believe there have 

 been destroyed not less than 10,000 acres of vineyards in 

 Ohio during the past ten years ; and during the same 

 time there have been planted, perhaps, 7,000 acres — leav- 

 ing the aggregate at this time about 9,000 acres, or 3,000 

 less than it was eight or ten years ago. Several hundred 

 acres of Catawba vines are annually planted on the 

 Islands — enough to make up for any that fail from age 

 or other causes. Some planting is also done every year 

 in the more favorable districts along the Lake Shore and 

 in the interior. 



The past season was more exempt from mildew and rot 

 than for several years previous ; though a few localities 

 suffered badly, from the effects of rainy and sultry 

 weather in July, this was not of very wide extent. The 

 warm weather of autumn ripened the Catawba better 

 than usual, and a superior quality of wine is the result. 

 The price paid to the growers on the Islands by the wine 

 makers, was 4 cents per pound, by the ton, for good 

 Catawba ; second class, 3'/^ cents. 



About half of the vineyards of our State, or over 4,000 



