300 



THE EDITOR'S OUTLOOK. 



Virginia. Tlie highest market value of grapes per 

 ton is ^g6 in Georgia, which is followed by Tenn- 

 essee at ^89, New York at ^70 Indiana at $67, 

 North Carolina and Virginia at ^60, while California 

 and Arizona give the lowest returns, with ^17.66 and 

 $16.50 respectively. 



An interesting feature of this census report is the 

 estimate of the grape interest in Arizona and New 

 Mexico, and it seems to show that those territories 

 are destined to be great wine and raisin centers : 

 " Viticulture in Arizona and New Mexico is com- 

 paratively new, but is thought to have a prosperous 

 future. Not only do the native varieties of grapes 

 grow in these territories, but the European, or 

 vinifera, also flourishes here. The Muscat varie- 

 ties, grown so successfully in California for raisins, 

 grow equally well in these territories ; also varieties 

 that produce a fine sherry wine. This is one of the 

 most prominent features of viticulture in Arizona. 

 Mr. J. De Barth Shorb, a prominent vine grower 

 and wine maker of southern California, after ex. 

 perimenting in Arizona, reports that the sherries 

 produced there have the true sherry flavor and are 

 made by the natural process ; that is, without it be- 

 ing necessary to ' bake' them. They not only have 

 the flavor of the Spanish sherries, but also the same 

 excellent qualities, So far, the fine sherries pro- 

 duced in this country have come from that territory. 

 The same authority states that Arizona will be to 

 the United States what Spain is now to Europe. 

 There were in 1889 in Arizona 1,000 acres of bear- 

 ing vines and 1,500 acres of new vineyards. The 

 product was 2,850 tons or 5,700,000 pounds of table 

 grapes, of which 150 tons or 300,000 pounds were 

 sold to wineries. In New Mexico in 1889 there 

 were 1,186 acres of bearing vines and 9,000 acres 

 of new vineyards, which produced 296,500 gallons 

 of wine and 1,779 tons or 3,558,000 pounds of table 

 grapes. The information received from New Mex- 

 ico by the census office shows a great advance in 

 viticulture since irrigation has proven practicable. 

 Two companies are building immense canals 45 feet 

 wide at the bottom, capable of carrying seven feet 

 of water. These canals will irrigate 400,000 acres 

 of as rich land as can be found in the world adapted 

 to the growth of fruit and grapes.'' 



The largest vineyard in the world is at Tehama, 

 California, which comprises 3,800 acres and to 

 which 1,000 acres are to be added at once. In 

 April, 1890, this great establishment had in stock 

 300,000 gallons of brandy and 1,000,000 gallons of 

 wine. But if "California tias the largest vineyard 

 in the world, it may be well to state that she has also 



the smallest. It is a vineyard consisting of a single 

 vine, in Santa Barbara county. It was planted by 

 a Mexican woman about sixty years ago, and has a 

 diameter at one foot from the ground of 12 inches, 

 its branches covering an area of 12,000 feet, and 

 produces annually from 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of 

 grapes of the Mission variety (many bunches weigh- 

 ing six and seven pounds), the crop being generally 

 made into wine. The old lady who planted this 

 one-vine vineyard died in 1865 at the age of 107." 



In the Pacific division the European grape is 

 grown almost entirely. This division contains 

 somewhat over half of the entire grape acreage of 

 the country, but the greater part of the product is 

 consumed in wine and raisins. Most of the table 

 grapes of the country are produced on the remain- 

 ing half of the grape acreage, and these are the 

 native grapes of our woods. No more remarkable 

 instance can be produced of the rapid improvement 

 and dissemination of native species of plants in any 

 country. In other words, the native grapes, im- 

 proved by culture, are now grown upon nearly 

 200,000 acres in the Ignited States, and they yielded 

 in 1890 9,655,905 gallons of wine and 225,636 tons 

 of table grapes ! And to this can be added a very 

 large acreage in Canada. All this native grape in- 

 dustry has arisen since the introduction of the 

 Catawba by John Adlum between 1820 and r830. 

 Adlum was regarded as visionary in his day, but in 

 the light of these developments his simple record 

 of his hopes and labors and disappointments is sad. 

 He had long endeavored to direct attention to the 

 native grapes, and he had applied to the president 

 of the United States for a lease of a bit of public 

 ground in Washington to enable him to cultivate 

 them. But the country was not yet ready for ex- 

 periments in agriculture, and he was obliged to 

 confine his efforts to his own resources. And then, 

 lest he should die before his work became known, 

 he published a little book on the subject. "As I am 

 advancing in years, and know not when I may be 

 called hence, I am solicitous that the information I 

 have acquired should not die with me." " I have 

 been obliged to prosecute the undertaking myself, 

 without assistance and without patronage, and 

 this I have done to the full extent of my very limited 

 means." Time has drawn its curtain over the work 

 of Adlum, and now the government willingly spends 

 its thousands to prosecute labors less important 

 than his. Every man who loves the grape should 

 feel grateful to Rafinesque for bestowing the name 

 Adlumia upon the charming "Allegheny vine" of 

 our woods and he should grow the plant at his door. 



