People make their mark in history in assorted manners: bravery, politics, leadership, writing, discovery, inventions and the list goes on. For Plattsburgh citizen, John W. Bailey, the circumstance was different. He, as a talented nurseryman, developed a grape. Yes, a grape named ‘Adirondac.’
The story opens in Port Henry, NY in 1852 on the property of Jonathon G. Witherbee, co-owner of the Sherman-Witherbee Iron Company. Witherbee had built a substantial home on Main Street complete with a greenhouse and fountains. He also commenced growing grapes and gained the reputation as “one of the most successful amateur fruit growers in [the] Champlain Valley.”
The “Discovery was wholly accidental.” Peter B. Mead, editor of the Horticulturalist magazine tells of the find by Witherbee of a vine, supposedly wild, growing on his property.
“The vine was quite large, and Mr. Witherbee considering it one of the common species,
directed that it should be grubbed up to make place for a root crop. A year or two after, a small vine made its appearance near the spot, and as it grew vigorously he gave it a trellis, and trained it in the same manner as he did his Isabellas (a very popular variety first established in the United States in 1816) and other varieties, since which time it has received equal care in pruning, laying down, and winter covering, It commenced to bear four years ago, ripening previous to the 10 th of September, and before the Isabella had commenced coloring, or had even attained its size.”
Witherbee informed John W. Bailey of this ‘new’ grape when the two met at the Essex
Agricultural Fair in the fall of 1860.
Mr. Bailey picks up the narrative: “Mr. Witherbee sent me a sample of the fruit wishing its name. I was astonished to find a grape in existence ripening so early and of such rare excellence. . . . I accordingly visited Port Henry two weeks after, by appointment, and on seeing the vine, I decided at once that it was a native, and perhaps a chance seedling of the Isabella. At that time I closed an arrangement with Mr. Witherbee for the entire control of the vine for propagation and named it the ‘Adirondac,’ it having originated at the base of the Adirondac range of mountains.”
Bailey continued to stress the favorable attributes of the new grape variety; it ripened
“decidedly earlier” than other grapes, it possessed the “highest excellence,” especially in flavor and that it would be perfect to cultivate in “all the Northern States and Canadas.”
And the nurseryman offered up the following description of the fruit: “bunches large, compact; berries—large round; color—dark purplish red with blue bloom, becoming quite black when fully ripe; seeds—medium, usually but two; flesh—greenish white, perfectly melting, without any hardness or acidity in the centre; flavor—remarkable for its excellence and delicacy . . .; skin—thin and tender.” Bailey rated it very “prolific.”
The new grape variety was classified as Vitis labrusca, known in common terms as the Northern Fox Grape.
Bailey believed strongly in the new grape and submitted several bunches of the ‘Adirondac’ for judging at the 1861 Montreal Horticultural Society exhibit. It drew rave reviews especially in regard to its early ripening date. The Montreal Herald published, “For years there has been a demand for a grape for open air culture, suitable for the northern climate . . . [the ‘Adirondac’] will be par excellence the grape for the north.” In recognition of his new variety the Society presented Bailey with a silver medal for the “New Native Grape The Adirondac.”
Buoyed by the success in Montreal, Bailey commenced marketing the ‘Adirondac.’ The
nurseryman contracted with agents to spread the word of the new variety and sell cuttings from
Plattsburgh Nurseries. Periodicals published articles written by Bailey and other growers describing the grape’s attributes and personal growing experience. Some of the magazines were Hovey’s Horticulture Magazine, Country Gentleman, the Horticulturalist and the American Agriculturalist. Even Canadian publications entered the scene with articles in the Canadian Horticulturalist and Canadian Farmer.
The best culinary characteristic of the ‘Adirondac’ proved to be as a table grape. Being low in sugar and acidity eliminated it a selection to be manufactured into wine.
The ‘Adirondac’ was well timed. Just a few years earlier many adults retained bad memories of “a life-long hostility” to grapes for their “early and sour experience.”
One Canadian publication praised the new grape stating, “A fine amateur grape of the highest quality,” but added a word of precaution that the vine “vine requires winter protection.” To avid grape growers this was not an unusual cultural practice.
Bailey bragged about the production capability of the ‘Adirondac’ in a letter sent to the Maine Farmer. He explained that the variety had been extensively in his Plattsburgh vineyard for nine years and in 1870 produced “two tons of as fine grapes as I ever saw.” He then invited any pessimists to come to Plattsburgh and “see for themselves.”
However, competition from new varieties doomed the ‘Adirondac.’ By 1904 the book The Grapes of New York reported, “Adirondac is an old variety now nearly or quite obsolete.”
Though the grape fell out of popularity, people can still proclaim the “Adirondac’ originally came from Port Henry.
Comments