The grape industry of the Hudson River Valley was fairly established in the early '60s. Here, the Isabella grape was the leading variety. Like the Catawba, the Isabella is regarded as a native of North Carolina. About 1810 a vine was sent from the South to CoL George Gibbs, who planted it in his garden at Brooklyn, N. Y. A few years later, one of the successful pioneer viticulturists of this country, William Prince, of Long Island, N. Y., introduced this variety to growers, and he named it the ((Isa bella" in honor of Mrs. Isabella Gibbs. For a long time the Isabella was the standard grape in the New. York vineyards, but of late years it has given place to other varieties.
Several varieties of grapes of good quality originated in the Hudson River district. Per haps the most desirable kinds were the Iona and the Eumelan. The former was originated by Dr. C. W. Grant, of Iona Island, N. Y. With the Delaware it is considered one of the finest flavored grapes of American origin. The Eumelan is more for wine mak.ng than for eating. The vineyards of the Hudson River district in 1890 comprised about 13,000 acres. Since then the industry has gone backward, and at the present time the vineyard area is estimated at from 8,000 to 9,000 acres. There are one or two wine cellars in this district, but about 80 or 90 per cent of the grapes raised along the Hudson River are sold for table purposes.
The Lake Keuka plantings of vines were made at Hammondsport, N. Y., at the head of Lake Keuka, from 1850 to 1860. But it was not until after 1865 that the grape industry there began to assume some commer cial importance. In 1890, when the statistics of viticulture were gathered for the first time in the United States, there were more than 12,000 acres of bearing vines in the Lake Keuka dis trict, and the growers shipped 20,000 tons, or 40,000,000 pounds, of table grapes to market annually. In addition to that amount, some 5,000 tons of grapes were sold to the local wine dealers. The vineyard acreage in this sec tion did not continue to increase so fast, and in 1910 there were in the district 15,000 acres of vines.
The vintage begins usually the first week in September, when the early varieties (such as the Concords and Delawares) ripen. It lasts until the middle of October, when the last of the Catawbas are gathered. The crop is picked in boxes, which hold from 35 to 40 pounds. The clusters of fruit are cut from the vines by grape shears. When the boxes are filled they are carried to the end of the rows, where they are gathered two or three times a day and taken to the packing-house. Here the grapes are sorted, and packed in 5- and 10-pound baskets. This work is done mostly by women
and girls.
The bulk of the grape crop is shipped by fast freight to the large city markets — to New York, Boston, Philadelphia. Within the past few years new markets have been opened in the Far West, and now it is common to find New York State grapes for sale in Denver, Omaha, Kansas City and even in Manitoba. The experiment was tried of shipping grapes to England, but while the fruit arrived there in fair condition, the cost and prices received did not warrant making further efforts.
The Lake Keuka grape growers now have a long range of season — that is, they can supply table grapes from early in September till the following March and April. The early varie ties cannot be held long, but the Catawba, for example, which ripens late, is a "good keeper." The grapes are stored in crates or trays in a cool building or cellar, and by proper ventilation and by maintaining an even tempera ture they can be kept fresh and fair till spring. Some years ago the only grapes in market in mid-winter were hothouse grapes, which cost from 50 cents to $1.50 a pound. Now these outdoor-grown grapes can readily be bought in January or February at 5 and 10 cents a pound.
The wine industry has also made striking progress in the Lake Keuka district. From the two or three cellars the number has increased to 12 at or near Hammondsport, N. Y. This section of New York State is often called "the American champagne district," as it produces about two-thirds of all the champagne made in the United States.
There are two important areas of vineyards adjoining the Keuka district, namely, the Sen eca Lake district of about 5,000 acres of vines in Seneca and Schuyler counties; the Canan daigua district of about 3,000 acres of vineyard bordering on Canandaigua Lake.
The Chautauqua Grape Belt —This is the greatest single strip of vineyard in the Eastern States. It stretches from the hills surround ing Chautauqua Lake, in western New York, along the shore of Lake Erie for some 50 miles. The growth of grape culture in the Chautauqua district was remarkably rapid. The industry began about 1860, that is rather in advance of the Hudson Valley district. It grew and pros pered, and in 1910 the Chautauqua grape belt contained about 30,000 acres of vines. The annual yield of this district is about 5,000 car loads of grapes. Each car holds from 2,300 to 2,500 baskets. In addition, probably one-third, or more, of this amount is used to make wine. The making of unfermented grape juice has become quite a large and growing industry in the Chautauqua district.