184 AMEKICAIT GRAPE GROWIl^G 



localities in the country. It is a lucrative and pleasant 

 investment, and from present appearances we may ex- 

 claim before long, with perfect justicCj of the '^^dne 

 clad hills " of Hamilton County. 



CHAPTER XLIL 



WHITE ELK VINEYARDS, IOWA. 



{From tfie America?! Wine and Qrape Grower for Nov., 1879.) 



These vineyards are situated on the west bank of the 

 Mississippi river, in the south-east comer of the State 

 of Iowa, and in and near the city of Keokuk. The 

 wines made there are chiefly Catawba, Concord, Ives, 

 Norton's Virginia, Delaware, Clinton, lona, and Alvey, 

 and have some reputation in the East, but are better 

 known in the West and South. They are remarkable 

 for the reason that they are the pure juice of the 

 grapes whose names they bear, being neither mingled 

 nor doctored, and are brought to maturity by the Pas- 

 teur method, which gives the wines the advantage of a 

 year or more in ripening them for market. 



The vineyards were established some ten or twelve 

 years ago by the Hon. Hiram Barney, of New York, for- 

 merly Collector under President Lincoln, and now em- 

 brace a little less than 100 acres in vines. The vintage 

 product is from 15,000 to 30,000 gallons, and is increas- 

 ing annually. Mr. Barney, in order to secure the future 

 permanence of the vineyards after he has passed away, 

 has recently transferred their ownership to a corpora- 

 tion known as the " White Elk Vineyard Company," 



