782 PKUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



HAIFA. 



REPORT BY OOlfSULAR AOENX SOBUMAOHEB. 

 [Republished from Consular Reports, No. 41^.] 



Raisins are not produced in my consular district ; but as we have been 

 engaged in the culture of grapes for the past ten years, and this ques- 

 tion being closely related to the question upon raisins, I want to answer 

 it at the same time. 



Experience has shown that southern hiil-slopes and table-land are 

 equally well adapted for grape culture, whilst in valleys and on plains 

 no very good results have been obtained. Directly on the sea-coast 

 grape vines do not prosper near as well as in the interior. 



The vineyards of the American-German colony here are situated 

 about a half mile from the sea-shore ; the close proximity of the sea (we 

 never have fogs), however, appears to act injuriously to the vines, as 

 we have but very little dew, which further inland falls abundantly, and 

 which causes the vines to remain fresher during the rather hot and 

 rainless summer months. In the mountainous district of " BelM Bish- 

 ara" (aalilee), at an altitude of 1,500, to 3,000, feet above sea, the saccha- 

 rine contents of grapes is greater both in quality and quantity, so that 

 wine made from them has a finer flavor ; the acidity contained in the 

 grapes cultivated in the vineyards near the sea-shore, and which makes 

 wine made from them unfit for exportation, is almost entirely absent in 

 the grapes from Galilee. Besides this, our vines suffer from mildew. 

 This is a flour-like substance which surrounds the berries of the grape 

 when they are about half grown, preventing them from developing and 

 ripening. Every locality of our vineyards, whether in a valley or on a 

 hill-side, has suffered with this mildew, but the higher elevated the 

 vineyards are the less they suffer. 



As a remedy we were advised to strew the grapes, shortly after blos- 

 soming, with powdered sulphur, but it did not prove to be very eflBcient 

 with any of the foreigu or native varieties. The Isabella (a blue grape 

 originally imported from tlie United States) was the least atiected of 

 all, and in some spots did not suffer at all. Experiments will have to 

 be made yet whether we can not find a variety which is not subjected to 

 this malady. 



According to information from natives, thei r vineyards in the interior 

 have at times also been affected with mildew, b ut it disappeared after it 

 had lasted seven years, whilst we on the sea-coast have had to contend 

 with it for nearly ten years. But we find on the slope of Mount Oar- 

 mel, where our vineyards are located, ancient wine-presses and cisterns 

 cut in the solid rock, which shows that grape culture must have 

 flourished here formerly. Prom experience thus far, I can make the 

 assertion that for this region grape culture does better in the interior 

 than on the seacoa.st. 



