57 



very suitable for the cultivation of the best varieties of 

 American grapes. These grapes are now attracting the 

 attention of many European vine-growers. Last fall, a 

 large order was received from Europe for cuttings and 

 roots of American grapevines by the vine-growers of Pleas- 

 ant Valley, at Hammondsport, in western New York. The 

 kinds v/anted were Concord, Catawba, etc. 



At the Vienna Exposition of 1873 the official award gave 

 the first prize medal to the Pleasant Valley Wine Com- 

 pany, of Hammondsport, New York, for the Great Wes- 

 tern and Carte Blanche champagne wines, and the diploma 

 to the Urbana Wine Company of the same place, for Gold 

 Seal and Imperial Sparkling Vines. 



The valley of the Rio Grande at and near El Paso, has 

 been noted for many years for its remarkably fine wines 

 and excellent grapes. ^More than two hundred years ago 

 grape culture and wine making began at El Paso. The 

 grapes cultivated weref^robably derived from Europe, but 

 years of cultivation ha\^e made them better than the origi- 

 nal stock. Two varieties are grown — the black and the 

 yellowish-white grape, both of which are very sweet and 

 juicy, of a very fine flavor, rendering them agreeable to the 

 taste of both old and young. During the season when 

 ' grapes, are ripe from about the first of August to some time 

 ill October, all eat freely of grapes, and find them condu- 

 cive to health. " 



A late number of the New York Commercial has the fol- 

 lowing : 



" In the vineyai:;d districts of France, Spain, and other 

 vine-growing countries, the medical properties of the 

 grape are well known and understood. , The free use of 

 this fruit has a most saHitaiy efllect upon the animal sys- 

 tem, diluting the blood, removing obstructions from the 

 liver, kidneys, spleen, and other important organs, giving 

 a healthy tone to the animal economy. In diseases of the 

 liver, and especially in that monster compound afi&iction, 

 dyspepsia, the salutary and potent influence of grape diet 

 is well kndw^n in France. The inhabitants of the vineyard 

 districts are never afflicted with these diseases, which, how- 

 ever, alone would not be conclusive evidence of the medi- 

 cinal qualities of the fruit of which they so freel^^ partake, 

 since peasant, life is rarely marred with these ailments; 

 but hundreds who are thus afflicted, yearly resort to the 

 vineyard districts for >the sake of what is known as the 



