31 8 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



hills overlooking the Ohio river, and chiefly with the Catawba. Many more 

 were set there, until the hillsides for miles around were dotted with Catawba 

 vineyards, but the mildew and black rot, two native fungus diseases, almost 

 ruined them because of the European blood in this variety. In Northern Ohio, 

 along Lake Erie and eastern Lake Ontario, and among the smaller lakes of 

 Western New York, where climatic conditions are not so favourable to the 

 disease, the Catawba succeeds very much better. Many thousands of car-loads 

 of grapes are annually shipped from Western New York to all parts of the 

 eastern States, and sold at a very low price. The varieties are mostly Concord, 

 Catawba, Niagara, and Delaware, although there are many more almost equally 

 good. The southern States, especially Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, 

 also produce many grapes of the same character, which find a ready market in 

 the north because of their earliness. The central States, especially Kentucky, 

 Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Michigan, are well suited to grape culture. In 

 Wisconsin and Minnesota the vines have to be laid down and covered with 

 soil during winter to protect them, but in all the other regions nothing of 

 the kind is necessary. 



The Vine in California. — But in all North America there is no region 

 where the grape flourishes as it does in California and some other States of 

 the Pacific Slope. There the most delicious grapes of the Mediterranean 

 countries are at home. They ripen their clusters in perfection under the glow- 

 ing skies. The grapes of Eshcol, perhaps, did not equal those of California. It 

 is nothing uncommon there to see single clusters weighing 4 to 5 lbs., and they 

 sometimes reach 15 lbs. Their quality is excellent. The size and numbers 

 of the vineyards are without comparison anywhere in the world. There are in 

 California vineyards of 2000 or more acres under one management. There are 

 wine-cellars many acres in extent. The raisin industry is immense. Nearly 

 110,000,000 lbs. of raisins, filling 6000 large freight cars, have been marketed 

 in a single year. Shipments of fresh grapes are as extensive as the eastern 

 markets will justify. Flame Tokay and Corinchon are the principal varieties 

 sold in the fresh state, and for making raisins the Muscat of Alexandria and Sultana. 



Culture. — At first the European methods of planting, training, and culti- 

 vating vineyards were followed, but our native grapes would not do well with 

 such short pruning. This led to wider planting and the use of trellises instead 

 of stakes. It is rare that the rows are planted in the eastern vineyards closer 

 than 8 feet, with the vines 10 feet apart in the rows. There are many styles 

 of trellises used, and different methods of pruning and training ; but posts with 

 three wires attached are most common, and a long spur system of pruning. In 

 California and all the region where European grapes are grown they are usually 

 planted in squares 8 by 8 feet apart, and the vines 4 feet in the rows. This 

 gives better opportunity to work the soil and remove the trimmings and fruit. 

 In all but a few cases the vines are trained to stumps about 2 feet high, from 

 which the bearing wood grows out each year. The pruning is very severe, for 

 only mere stubs of the young wood are left at the top of each stem. No trellis 

 or other support is needed, except in the cases where a few varieties are grown 

 that will not endure this treatment, and while the vines are very young. 



