Читать книгу The Grapes of New York - U. P. Hedrick - Страница 13

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The region along the Hudson River forms the third largest grape district in New York. According to the census of 1890 there were 13,000 acres of grapes in this district but in 1900 the returns gave less than half that acreage. The great falling off was due to the taking out of a considerable number of old vineyards which had been planted with too many varieties, or with worthless varieties, or in some other respect were poorly set plantations. It is doubtful whether the acreage in 1907 is greater than in 1900 but the industry is in a more healthful and prosperous condition now than then.

An estimate of the present acreage, and its distribution, made in the preparation of this work, gives the standing of the district as follows by counties: Columbia, 865 acres; Dutchess, 448 acres; Orange, 865 acres; Ulster, 4021 acres; total, 6199 acres. Beside the above there are, of course, some scattering vineyards. There are only two or three wine-cellars in the district and probably 95 per ct. of the product of the vineyards is sold for table grapes or to those who make wine in small quantities.

The grape lands of the Hudson River Valley are found very largely in the geological division known as the Taconic Province.[111] This province is a broad valley which extends from Pennsylvania across New Jersey, taking in Orange and parts of Ulster and Dutchess and Columbia Counties, then passing out of the State. The rocks in this geological division are shales, slates, schists, and limestones; and the soil is derived from these rocks. The grape lands, for most part, are those in which there is much shale or slate and in more or less coarse fragments, the finer particles being clay or gravelly loams. The district is more or less hilly, some of the vineyards being in valleys of a few acres extent, others in broad, gently undulating plains and still others on comparatively steep hillsides.

The climate of the Hudson Valley changes rapidly as one goes up the River because of the diversity of its physical features and the wide variety of atmospheric influences to which it is subject. In the part of the Valley in which grapes are grown the summer temperature is high owing to the position between ranges of mountains and to the southerly winds which prevail at this season. In the winter the winds are northerly and the temperature is often low making the culture of tender grapes hazardous. The influence of the river, really a broad estuary in the grape regions, at all seasons is most favorable for fruit-growing.

The lowlands of the Hudson Valley receive a somewhat small amount of rainfall as compared with the rest of New York because when moisture is being carried inland from the Atlantic it is largely precipitated by the mountains and highlands of New England. This is favorable to grape-growing. Another desirable feature of the rainfall of this Valley is that the maximum summer downfall is in July whereas in many parts of the State it is in September or October. This relatively light rainfall in the maturing months is more marked in this than in any other of the grape districts of the State.

The recorded history of commercial viticulture dates back to 1827 when Mr. Robert Underhill and his two sons, R. T. and W. A. Underhill, planted a vineyard of Catawba and Isabella at Croton Point which eventually covered seventy-five acres. For some years this vineyard practically supplied the large markets of the region with grapes. In 1829, Rufus Barrett of New Paltz, began shipping Isabella grapes in small quantities to the New York market. Barrett lived in a settlement of French Huguenots, who after having experimented more or less with European sorts, early in the nineteenth century began planting native varieties. It is probable that Barrett obtained his inspiration for planting and knowledge of vine-growing from these Frenchmen.

In 1837 a French vintner, John Jacques, set out a vineyard for wine-making at Washingtonville, Orange County. The varieties set were Catawba and Isabella, purchased from Prince of Long Island. Some of these vines are still living, vigorous and thrifty at three score years and ten. The original plantation consisted of but a half acre but in 1838 this was increased to ten acres. This is probably the oldest vineyard of native grapes in New York. The third year from the planting of this vineyard wine was made, and has been made at Washingtonville ever since, so that this community may claim the oldest winery as well as the oldest vineyard in the State.[112]

William T. Cornell planted a vineyard of Isabellas near Clintonville, Ulster County, in the year 1845. Mrs. Cornell and Mrs. William A. Underhill were sisters, so that Cornell’s vines came from Croton Point. A. J. Caywood, of Marlboro, was a brother-in-law of Mr. Cornell. Thus the inspiration of this noted viticulturist to plant grapes, and to originate new sorts, may be traced directly back to the Frenchman, Parmentier, who, as we have seen, furnished the Underhills with their vines and gave them instructions for their care. The Catawba and Isabella were grown almost entirely until the introduction of the Delaware and Concord, after which the first named sorts dropped out entirely, being subject to mildew and ripening late in the season.

The Valley of the Hudson has more reason to be called the birthplace of American viticulture than any other of the grape-growing districts of the country. The grape and wine industries, as we have seen, were early started here. Prince’s Linnæan Garden at the mouth of the Valley was the first distributing agency for American grapes. Its owners did more than distribute grapes, they distributed knowledge and trained men. A. J. Caywood of Marlboro, J. H. Ricketts of Newburgh, Stephen Underhill at Croton Point, Dr. A. K. Underhill at Charlton, Dr. C. W. Grant at Iona, W. D. Barns of Middlehope, Dr. William M. Culburt of Newburgh, were notable early originators and experimenters with grapes and from their vineyards have come some of the best of our native varieties. Kniffin, the Downings, and Buel are other familiar names in viticulture and horticulture of those who lived on the Hudson and who have helped to invest the region with sentiment and with interest for the grape grower.

The number of varieties grown in this region is far greater than in other parts of the State; as would be expected from its having been the birthplace of so many and from its nearness to large markets where fancy sorts can be disposed of to advantage. The Concord leads in acreage followed in order of acreage by Delaware, Niagara, Worden, Moore Early, Bacchus, Pocklington, Campbell Early, Hartford and Vergennes after which come a great number of less well-known sorts grown in acre or less quantities. The value of the crop in this district in 1900 was $298,350.

During the early years of grape-growing along the Hudson the methods of training were essentially those used in Europe. The vines were kept well headed back and were trained to stakes of varying heights. It did not take long to discover that for our native grapes the vines must be so trained as to give the fruit and foliage the greatest possible amount of sunshine; to regulate the bearing wood; to permit them to bear just so much and no more fruit; and to control the height of the main trunk. Soon distinctive systems for native grapes arose and one of the earliest of these originated with William Kniffin of Ulster County. This system still bears his name and is most generally used either as it was first practiced or in some of its modifications. In the Kniffin system, and its modifications, the trunk is carried to the top wire and the bearing shoots are allowed to droop; for this reason this method of training is often called the drooping system in contra-distinction to the upright systems hitherto mentioned in which the bearing shoots are tied to wires above the canes from which they grow. The Hudson Valley growers claim that the Kniffin system is especially desirable for the strong growing sorts like Concord, Worden, and Niagara but admit that for the slender shorter growing kinds like Delaware and Catawba the upright system is best.

As is always the case when fruit is grown near to the market in which it is sold, there is little uniformity in the packages in which it is shipped and the manner in which the fruit is packed. Most of the fruit from the vineyards along the Hudson goes to market in climax baskets of the two standard sizes. Some of the growers pack two, or even three varieties, in one package for the purpose of giving a range in color and quality. The shipping facilities along the river are unexcelled. Most of the grapes go by boat down the Hudson to New York City. In this case the fruit is loaded late in the evening and reaches its destination early the next morning. The rail connections to New England cities are good and large shipments go eastward by rail while smaller quantities go inland and south. The fruit is not marketed through unions nor has co-operative selling been tried, the nearness to market obviating the necessity of co-operation.

The insect pests in this district are neither numerous nor particularly destructive, the grape leaf-hopper and the grape-vine flea-beetle being most common. Spraying for insects is not generally practiced. On the other hand the fungus troubles are serious, the black-rot having been especially destructive in some sections. The other diseases are much the same as in the districts discussed. While all of the fungi of the district are amenable to treatment yet spraying has not been generally practiced nor have the vines been kept as vigorous and healthy through cultivation and fertilization as to withstand the attacks of the several fungi. The decreased acreage of grapes along the Hudson during the past decade or two is due in some measure to the fact that the grape diseases have not been controlled. With better knowledge of the life-habits of the insects and fungi which attack vineyards, and means of combatting these pests, viticulture should regain the prestige it once held in the Hudson Valley.