GRAPE REGIONS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS 31 



desirable. If there are also opportunities to dispose of any 

 surplus to makers of raisins, wine or grape-juice, the grower 

 has well-nigh attained the ideal. Further to be desired are 

 good roads, short hauls, quick transportation, reasonable freight 

 rates, refrigerator service and cooperative agencies. The more 

 of these advantages a grower has at his disposal, the less likely 

 he is to fail in commercial competition. 



General versus local markets. 



The grower must be reminded rather than informed that he 

 must decide in locating his vineyard whether he will grow for 

 distant markets, for manufacturing into grape products, or for 

 local markets. Determination to grow grapes once made, 

 subsequent procedure at every step depends on the disposition 

 to be made of the product. Summarized, the differences in 

 growing grapes for the two markets are : For the general mar- 

 ket : the acreage should be large ; the market may be distant ; 

 the varieties few ; the cost of production low ; sales large and 

 prices low ; the dealings are with middlemen ; and extensive 

 culture is practiced. For the local market : the acreage may be 

 small ; the market must be near and prices must be high ; the 

 sales are direct to the consumer ; there must be succession in 

 ripening ; and intensive culture is practiced. For the general 

 market, the vineyard is the unit; for the local market, the 

 variety should be the unit. In this discussion, however, " large 

 acreage" and "extensive culture" set against " small acreage" 

 and "intensive culture" may mislead. This is a case in which 

 a large endeavor may be a small endeavor, and a small en- 

 deavor a large one ; or, in which it may be well to take the ad- 

 vice of Virgil, who advised Roman vineyardists, " Praise great 

 estates; farm a small one." 



The grape-growing of the times tends more and more to 

 growing for general markets. The grower plants to skim a 

 comparatively small return from a large area. This division 



