THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
111 
the shipment of Concord grapes has just begun and it 
will not end much before November 20th. With favor¬ 
able weather, however, the crop will all be harvested 
and under cover about October 25th. Of course, to 
move this large crop of grapes a small army of help is 
required. The picking and packing is nearly all done 
by girls and at the present time it is estimated that, in 
the town of Portland alone, in addition to the residents 
that work in the vineyards, there are from 1,200 to 
1,500 young ladies employed; also a proportionate 
number of men necessary to do the heavy work, such as 
loading the grapes, hauling to the packing house, etc. 
A few statistics from last year’s business will give 
an idea of the magnitude of this business. The number 
of cars shipped was 2,600 and the growers received in 
round figures $1,250,000. The average yield per acre 
is three tons. Many vineyards, however, will fall below 
that amount for various reasons, such as poor land, poor 
cultivation, etc. On the other hand, the best tillers 
produce much more than that per acre. The Concord 
vineyard of J. A. H. Skinner of Brocton, N Y., pro¬ 
duced last season 1,520 nine-pound baskets per acre. 
This is about its average yield for several years past and 
one or two seasons the yield has been larger. Mr. 
Skinner ascribes his success to thorough cultivation and 
fertilization, using large quantities of potash every year. 
He is justly proud of his vineyard and well may be. The 
Niagara vineyard of G. E. Ryckman has become noted 
throughout the country for its enormous yield in 1890 of 
twelve tons per acre. 
Probably from 85 per cent, to 90 per cent, of the 
grapes grown in this section are Concords, although in 
the town of Portland there are several hundred acres of 
Niagaras. Other varieties grown to considerable extent 
are Worden, Moore’s Early, Pocklington, Delaware, etc., 
while the past spring quite a number of small vineyards 
were set to the Early Ohio. 
A Horticultural Institute and Columbian Grape Show 
was held at Ripley, N. Y., last week, conducted by 
George T. Powell, and it was a grand success from every 
point of view. Mr. Powell pronounced the display of 
fruit the finest he ever looked upon. In addition to 
laymen there were present Prof. S. A. Beech of the 
New York State Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y., 
Prof. L. H. Bailey of Cornell University and others, 
besides a large number of local specialists. 
Among the vineyard owners are John Farrell of 
Westfield, who has something over 400 acres of bearing 
vineyards located on various farms that he owns along 
the belt ; R. J. Quail, Hanover, 100 acres ; G. E. Ryck¬ 
man, proprietor of the Brocton Wine Cellars, of Brocton, 
N. Y., 150 acres; Jonas Martin of Brocton, (manager 
of Chautauqua & North East Grape Union,) 200 acres ; 
E. Buckner of Brocton, 50 acres; also, at Portland, 
Dean Brothers have 150 acres. M L. Taylor 200 acres. 
while E. H. Fay, G. W. Marsh and Henry Taylor of 
the same place are very extensive growers. 
The very pleasant nature of this business and the 
certainty of large paying returns have attracted many 
outside investors to this locality and many fine vine¬ 
yards are owned by outside capitalists. 
At Portland, also, is located the large nursery con¬ 
cern of the C. S. Curtice Company which makes a 
specialty of growing grape vines and had this season, 
in addition to other stock, about one hundred acres 
devoted exclusively to growing grape vines. As an 
indication of the enterprise of the people of this section, 
and their desire to put themselves abreast of the times, 
may be cited the fact that a paper especially devoted to 
grape growing. The Grape Belt, published at Brocton, 
N. Y., has sprung up almost in a night into a paid cir¬ 
culation of nearly 2,000 in this immediate vicinity. It 
is published and ably edited by E. P. Harris. 
THE OHIO GRAPE BELT. 
There have been lively times during the last few 
weeks among the grape growers of the Ohio Belt which 
includes Euclid, Noble, Wickliffe, Willoughby, Mentor, 
Perry, Unionville, Avon and Dover. The grapes have 
been sent in so rapidly and in such quantities that several 
times a “ halt” has been called and further receipts have 
been refused until the market cleared. 
The crop is large and of extraordinary quality. 
George W. Campbell pronounces it far above the aver¬ 
age. Near the lake where they often rot, grapes are of 
excellent quality this year. Prices are ruling low, but 
the demand is heavy and growers will profit. 
Lewis Harms of Euclid, O., writes under date of Sep¬ 
tember 30: “The grapes in this section are about one- 
half to two-thirds harvested. I think the crop this year will 
average about one-third larger than last year, and there is 
also a very large increase in the acreage over last j'ear. It 
is e.stimated that Euclid will ship about 5,000 carloads of 
3,000 baskets each and it is estimated that at points east as 
far as Unionville, O., there will be about as many more 
shipped. The fruit is handled by three associations and 
one buyer. Most of the fruit is sold on the track where 
loaded. The prices for grapes this season have ruled very 
low owing to the large peach crop and the condition of the 
money market. At present, however, the demand is good 
and better prices are looked for. The quality ot our grapes 
this season is much better than last year, especially the 
CatawFa. Of this variety many are used for making wine.” 
The Western New York Horticultural Society w^on 
first prize at the New' York State Fair at Syracuse for a 
general exhibit of fruit. At previous state fairs the 
society w'on first and second prizes for the exhibits of 
the same nature. These results are directly attributable 
to the indefatigable work of the secretary, John Hall, 
in urging the members to send fruit. 
