GRAPE 



and many of the Rogers IiTl>ri(ls are now planted. In 

 the southern states, from Texas to Georgia, tlie Niagara. 

 Herbemont, Cunningham, as also Norton Virginia and 

 Cynthiana, arc most frequently wanted." L 11 B 

 Grapes in the North. — Seeking a proper In 

 oatiou for Grapes in the northern states east 

 (■t the Rocky mountains, one should make a 

 distinction between Grapes planted for com- 

 mercial purposes and those planted for do- 

 mestic use. If for the former, the climatic 

 conditions must be so perfect that a crop can 

 be depended on each season with the same cer- 

 tainty as the appearance of the tax collector 

 or the annual interest on the mortgage. If 

 for the hitter, the chances may be such as to 

 give a yield of Grapes three ye'ars out of five, 

 which is better than no (4rapes at all. Any 

 section in which dent corn has a liberal season 

 in which to mature is a practicable place for 

 a household vineyard, provided the early 

 ripening varieties are selected. For this pur- 

 pose, for black or deep purple, may bo sug- 

 gested Moore Early and Worden. During the 

 past three years the Canii>bell is often favor- 

 ably mentioned. I-^or white or pale green, the 

 Green Mountain, sometimes called the Win- 

 chell, and for red the Brighton, are good 

 varieties. 



The best location for a commercial vine- 

 yard is along tlie shores of our lakes or large 

 rivers. The advantage of such locations is 

 due almost entirely to protection from late 

 and early frosts. i)uring the early develop- 

 ment of the Grape industry, many loose ideas 

 were prevalent that certain spots within the 

 different Grape zones had some sjiecial magic 

 of sunshine, or temperature, or draught of 

 '"■■• air. or alchemy of the soil, that gave" such 

 3-bud cut- superior quality of truit. Tlie earljci- vioe- 

 tine of yards at Hammuud^port. X. Y., wen- ]ilaiited 

 Grape. upon steep liillsiilis — so ste.'p tliat tej-rai-es 

 were sometimes formed, wliich uinde culti- 

 vation and harvesting expensive. 8u(di Ii:ica1ioiis were 

 probably considered su])erior to all olhers hocause 

 some one had seen Grajies gro"\vn in similar locations 

 along the Rhine. It was also said that tlie west bank 

 of the lake was superior because the Gra}ics recei\"ed 

 the morning sun. Henry ( ). Fairchild, a picmeer and 

 progressive vineyardist, in time iiroved the foolish- 

 ness of the idea by planting a vineyard on the east 

 side of the lake, where the lay of the land made cultiva- 

 tion more easy and the Grapes received the afternoon 

 sun. In later years, when the Grapes from either shore 

 reached the market, no consumer 

 could tell whether the fruit ri'ceived 

 the moriiiug or afternoon sun. The 

 lirst vineyards planted in the Lake 

 Erie belt were at Brocton,Chautuaqua 

 county. The industry clung about 

 that initial location many years, for 

 it was a popular belief that "there was 

 some special current of air passing 



GRAPE 



671 



964. Cleft-graftinR 

 the Grape. 



965. Cleft-grafting the Grape. 



from the hills to the lake at that special point that did not 

 pass elsewhere. Now there are more than 25.000 acres 

 of vineyard planted between Silver Creek and Harbor 

 Creek, and the yield of that area for the season of 1S99 

 ■v\'a3 about 7,000 car loads. The only marked dift>reuce 



43 



of (Jrapi- ])rodnct in all that area is the difference 

 bet\veen the conscientious and the careless packer. If 

 there was ever any reason for such an idea as the 

 (jualityof fruit beiny: influenced by location, it was prob- 

 ably due to the inexperience of some outside planter, 

 which led him to pnt up too much or too little wood, and 

 imperfect ripening; of tlie trnit was the result. The con- 

 clusion was jumpod at that the difference was due to a 

 lieavendiorn blessing- of location, instead of good judg- 



966. Grapes ruined by black rot. 



t is thi.' coniuion thin;:: for writers to 

 on "southern slopes" and "sunny 



luent in prunini." 

 lay much stres 



slopes, ''but in most cases they have said so because 

 some one has said so before them, and not because they 

 spoke from experience. Scarcely an acre of the 25,000 

 planted to vineyards in the Chautauqua belt but faces 

 the north, and is in full view of Lake Erie, as the seats 

 of a theater face the stage. 



There is one feature of location upon which much 

 stress must be laid, even in the lake zones, and that is 

 opportunity for frost drainage. It is a well attested fact 

 that the cold air settles in the bottom of a valley; there- 

 fore, the bott'im of a ravine is usually C'dder in frostv 

 nights than the hillside. It often happens that a late 

 spring or early fall frost will injure Grapes in the lower 

 location, and not on the slopes. This is a factor that 

 jilanters of all fruit should observe. 



There has l.ieen as much nonsense written about the 

 best soils for Grapes as there has been about best loca- 

 tion. One has a vineyard planted on the gravel of what 

 was once the beach of Lake Erie, when it had a higher 

 level than at present. His neighbor across the road has 

 a vineyard planted on a very stiff clay, which was once 

 the bottom of the lake. One gets just as large yields 

 and just as line quality of fruit as the other. The only 

 difference is that the former, being on the gravel, is able 

 to work his soil earlier than the latter ; bis fruit 

 ripens earlier, so that he is able to borrow all of the 

 iiei,ghbor's harvesting tools. Another neighbor has a 

 vineyard extending across tioth clay and gravel, and 

 lie would not sell one acre cheaper than another. In 

 commercial planting, the period of protection from 

 frosts should I'O broad enough so that the difference in 

 ripening from gravel or clay should not make a dif- 

 ference of success or failure. For domestic planting. 

 the gravel wmld be preferable. The soils of which most 

 .serious warning should be given are those containing a 

 very liberal supply of available nitrogen. All ex]ierienced 

 fruit-growers know of the impossibility of early fruiting 

 of trees or vines which are nu\king a rampant growth. 

 There is mi fruit so easily intoxicated by nitrogen as 

 the Grape. Long-jointed canes are always to be avoided. 

 Besides being less fruitful, a riotous growth of Grape 

 vine is far more liable to mildew and to other diseases 

 than those of sol}er growth. One of the surprises in the 



