It is difficult to ascertain the acreage in this district. Taking the
figures of the census of 1900 and those of a canvass made by this
Station in the winter of 1906-7 the acreage in the several counties is
about as follows: Yates, 7940; Steuben, 5570; Ontario, 2630; Schuyler,
1014; Seneca, 1540; total 18,694. These figures are slightly larger than
the estimates of grape-growers and buyers but chiefly so because they
take in scattered plantations throughout the several counties. Thus in
all of these counties there are a surprisingly large number of Niagara
vineyards in out-of-the-way places, set during the Niagara boom of the
eighties. To this Central Lakes district might also be added 500 acres
of commercial vineyards in Livingston County; 250 in Cayuga and 250 in
Tompkins Counties. The total valuation of the crop in this district in
1900 was $943,964.
Insects are not as troublesome in the Central Lakes district as in the
Chautauqua district. The grape-vine fidia, or root-worm, one of the
worst of the insect pests of the grape, is not yet destructive in this
region. The grape leaf-hopper and the grape-vine flea-beetle are
possibly the worst of the insects infesting the grapes about these
lakes.
But fungi are more troublesome than in the Chautauqua district; probably
because the climatic conditions are more favorable to the development of
these pests about these smaller lakes than near Lake Erie. The five most
troublesome diseases, named about in order of importance are
black-rot,[106] downy mildew,[107] or "brown-rot", powdery mildew,[108]
anthracnose,[109] or "bird's-eye rot" and chlorosis,[110] or
"yellow-leaf". Vineyards are very generally sprayed in this district and
usually with satisfactory results. Grape-growers have learned that
certain varieties are much more susceptible to some of the diseases than
others and plant accordingly.
HUDSON RIVER DISTRICT.
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.
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