Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1876 — The Mammoth Grape Vine at the Centennial. [ARTICLE]

The Mammoth Grape Vine at the Centennial.

Near the center'of Agricultural Hall, at the Exposition, stands an exhibit from California, which is worthy of special mention, it being one of the most interest ing nojattles ever brought East from that State which abounds in curious and remarkable productions. It is nothing more or less than the celebrated mammoth grape vine, of Santa Barbara, the history of which la known, probably, to but few persons outside of California. The recent death of this vine and its exhibition at the Centennial Show will serve to bring it more prominent before the world than it has ever been during its palmiest days. Its last hours were calm and peaceful and its death was perfectly painless, being the result of old age rather than disease. Having thus closed a long and useful life on the Pacific coast, it is grand even though deadband scarcely any one thing animate or inanimate, in Agricultural Hall, attracts more attention or elicits more praise from visitors. Both ancient and modern history give instances of some immense grape vines, but I believe there is no authentic account of a vine equal to this Santa Barbara production. ' it is larger than the famous vine of Fontainbleau, France, larger than any found among the villas in the vicinity of Rome, and even surpasses any of which Pliny gives an account in his history and travels. The various theories respecting the origin of the Santa Barbara vine are simply based on traditions handed down through several successive generations, each of them being tinged with romance. One of these traditions connects the origin of the vine with a tale of love that was written a few years ago and has been widely circulated. This romance is entitled the “Legend of the Montecito Grape Vine.” No two writers, how ever, exactly agree as to the age of the vine. Some claim that it was planted fifty years ago; others that it sprang into existence seventy-five years ago, and others that it is a centenarian. According to the legend referred to above, it was just 150 years old when dug up for removal, having been planted a century previous by a beautiful young Spanish lady, named Donna Maria Marcel ma Feliz. If anybody desires to learn why the young lady had no more names, I can only refer the inquirer to Maria Marcelina’s parents. She planted the vine at the request of her lover, Don Carlos SomeTody, who gave her a little grapevine tw T ig as a riding whip on liei; journey from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, a distance of 100 miles. At the conclusion of her journey, she placed the twig in the ground; hi the beautiful Montecito valley, and the result was the biggest grapevine in the known world. This theory of the origin of the vine may or may not be correct. I give it for whatever it may happen to be worth. It is as plausible as any of the stories pertaining to llie wonderful production, and probably has at least a foundation of fact, if nothing more. But certain il is that the M%e vine had an origin somewhere and at • some time, and it is to-day one of the greatest natural curiosities to be found in the Exposition. The dimensions of this vine are as follows : It is fourteen inches in diameter three feet from the ground, and nearer the grbund it measures eighteen inches in diameter and has a circumferenceof fiftysix inches, While its foliage covered a space equal to 10,000 square feet. The product of the vine, as estimated by Dr. Qrd, one of the California State Commissioners, Judge Huse, of the same State, and others, lias more than once reached the astounding number of 7,500 clusters, of an average weight of one and a half pounds. The fruit is of the variety known as the Mission grape, and is, or was, exceedingly sweet and luscious. At a public meeting held in Santa Bar bara, a few months ago, the great vine being then dead, it was resolved to allow Mr. M. Sarver to remove it to Philadelphia and place it on exhibition, where it now stands as a proof of the rare adaptation of California soil and climate to the culture of the grape. It is a fitting symbol of the wonderful fruit-produciug resources of that grand country beyond the Rocky Mountains. It has borne more fruit annually than any other vine in the world, the only one rivaling it being the Young Mammoth vine, which stands within 140 feet of the spot where this monster grew, and which is outgrowth of the Centennial vine*. The younger vine is now sixteen years old, measures sixteen inches f hr diameter at the largest point, and furnished last year 10,000 pounds of luscious grapes. It is still growing and may reach or even exceed the size of the parent stem. I should add that the vine on exhibition has twenty large, prominent branches, the largest of which is twenty-eight inches in circumference. These produce great numbers of young shoots, annually, which in time become large branches.— Philadelphia Car. Chicago Journal.