80 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



6. Eyes — Buds — mean in general, as by every other plant, so also by the grape, the 

 bud that grows on the new sprouts in the same coloring, from which grows, in the fol- 

 lowing spring, the new sprout with leaf and bloom. On a well developed grape are four 

 different eyes to be found, to wit : (a.) fruit eye, the most developed on the grape, mostly 

 from the third to the tenth and produces each two to six grapes according to the age 

 and kind of the vine. Near the old wood on the top of the vine, also on young, not 

 yet fruit-bearing, conical in form, is another eye, which seldom brings fruit, and is 

 called (b) wood bud. (c.) Reserve bud, mostly in poor developed condition, hardly visi- 

 ble to the eye, and near the two first named. When hard winters, late spring frosts, 

 hail, or other causes, the buds are destroyed, then nature shows her purpose with this 

 eye. This reserve bud now takes the place of its destroyed predecessor, his former neigh- 

 bor and brings, when not yet too late, a recompense of a harvest which would otherwise 

 have been lost, (d.) Twin buds are two, sometimes three fruit eyes with one basis, which 

 grow and develope themselves and produce, if left undisturbed and bring them to ma- 

 turity, but yet in most cases die, except the stronger one, as soon as there is uo fear of 

 late frosts, since they will seldom do well together, and are furthermore injurious to the 

 strength of the vine. 



7. Tendrils. — Grow opposite to every leaf and grape. They are of the thickness of 

 twine, fork, when grown two or three inches long, in two hook-like arms or fingers 

 ■which fasten themselves on any thing in their reach by winding themselves in tight rings 

 around the object. After the leaves have fallen off they become woody like the vine, 

 and are opposite every eye. Without this organ the vine of the forest could never have 

 reached the top of the trees, and would consequently not live. By the culture of the 

 grape, and the consequently necessary mode of fastening, these tendrils are no more re- 

 quired, and therefore to be removed. 



8. The stem of the bunch Peduncle, connects the grapes with the vine and so connects 

 the stem of the berry with the grape bunch. By the description of the richness of 

 the berry this stem is often mentioned and deserves therefore naming here. 



9. Bloom — is the fine coating of the berries, which changes in color from whitish to the 

 charming dark blue. This bloom gives to the berry a charm and should by marketing 

 be preserved. 



10. General. 



(a.) Short or long jointed is the relative distance between one eye and the other, and 

 determines the value of the grape in certain kinds. 



ATTEMPT TO CLASSIFY THE FOREST GRAPE, AND PROVE THE PARENTAGE 



OF OUR TAME GRAPE. 



Of the many kinds of grapes which are and have been cultivated in Europe, in the 

 course of thousands of years, the number of which may reach over 2000, the parent grape 

 in the course of the long period of its cultivation, as history demonstrates, is hardly 

 known. Only one kind is named. Persia is considered to be its home according to tra- 

 ditions in wine-culture. Whenever the history of American wine-culture shall have 

 reached such a distinguished position as it has in Europe, then will our succeeding auth- 

 ors receive all our commentaries relative to the history of the parent grape and our pres- 

 ent observations and experiments, with due regard. We may give the means to preserve, 

 or at least give sentiment to establish a system, which, if not of particular value to the 

 producer, will be of no inconsiderable value for the furtherance of knowledge. We may 



