MAMMOTH GRAPE-VINE.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 177, 20 December 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAMMOTH GRAPE-VINE.

O.vk of the wonders of the Exhibition is tlie mammoth grape-vine of California. The tree was dug up—as in the last few 3? ears it had shown signs of rapid decay—in order that it might be shown at Philadelphia. Nobody knows exactly when the vine was planted, but the age of it is supposed to be 50 or 60 years. There is a legend that sortie distinguished lady set the slip in the ground to commemorate the birth of a daughter. The place whence the vine has been brought is Santa Barbara, on the coast of South California. It has now ended its days. Merely the trunk and the principal limbs are shown, but they give a fair idea of the immense dimensions which the tree attained. The stem is thicker than a man’s body. As many as 1,500 clusters of grapes have been gathered from the, branches in one season ; the weight of the animal produce must therefore have amounted to more than live tons. Had decent care been taken of the tree by the Spaniards, probably it would have lived another 50 years, but they treated it verv hadlv, and in the last three years made it the centre of a dancerr.' platform. The -stem' was Bft. feet; high, and the largest of the main branches—there were 20 in all—measured 28in. in circumference. ThW grape was of the mission variety. Fortunately for the worshippers of gigantic objects, the mammoth has been replaced by a daughter vine only less magnificent than herself. The daughter—grown at Santa' Barbara, close to the spot which the mother has vacated is llin. in diameter near the ground, and covers with • its branches an area of from 8,000 to 10,000 feet. The bunches gathered from lib Iq

41b each. The trunk thickens at the rate of one inch in twelve months. These two monsters put the famous one of Hampton Court completely into the shade. The young,mammoth is only 1G years old. It is in the hands of persons who know how to preserve it, and marvellous results maybe looked for. in, the course of time. At present, if we can trust the statistics, that have been sent ;bv'ei‘ with the dead tree, the iifoduce of the living vine, amounts to B,ooolb. or 10,0001b.’ per annum. The bunches are gathered from the middle of August to the middle of January. .