188 RURAL NEW YORK 



number was of bearing age. The total number of 

 vines was a little more than one-third of all the vines 

 in the country outside of California. 



The region bordering Lake Erie on the south, 

 through the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New 

 York, is the most prominent eastern grape-growing 

 district. A large part of the acreage is in New York 

 and forms the most important center of production in 

 the State. This is the Chautauqua district. Three 

 other districts of grape production are of less im- 

 portance, in the order of acreage, being the Central 

 Lakes, the Hudson Valley and the ISTiagara. 



The Chautauqua district had its rise to commercial 

 importance with the introduction of the Concord 

 about 18G0. It is located on the low and rather 

 flat Lake Erie plain which is marked off from the 

 southern New York highlands by a high steep slope. 

 Grape-growing extends well up this slope toward the 

 crest but has its best development on the old gravelly 

 bars and beaches that stretch east and west near the 

 foot. This area was formerly covered by lake waters. 

 They are often calcareous in the subsoil. They are 

 mostly of the Dunkirk series. Along the face of the 

 slope the Lordstown and Wooster soils are dominant. 

 The grape region is from three to four miles in 

 width and extends westward from just within the 

 Erie County line through all northern Chautauqua 

 County and thence westward into Pennsylvania and 

 Ohio, with ever decreasing intensity from the center 

 of production around Brocton. 



The Central Lakes region is made up of several 



