BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 141 



dry for this plant. There is reason to believe that a systematic test- 

 ing of the numerous grasses and legumes secured by botanical explo- 

 rations in Central Asia will disclose species that will solve the 

 problem. 



VITICULTURAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



The viticultural problem of the wine-grape districts of the Pacific 

 coast from the production standpoint becomes one primarily of de- 

 veloping the Panariti and other currant grapes and the culture of 

 the Ohanez and other late varieties, which it is believed can be pro- 

 duced advantageously in this country, with a view to their taking 

 the place of the Almeria and other types of long-keeping grapes now 

 imported into this country more or less from Spain and elsewhere. 

 The results of investigations already in progress have seemingly 

 demonstrated the practicability of growing these varieties on a com- 

 mercial basis. 



From the cultural standpoint, the use of cover crops in the Oakville 

 Experiment Vineyard in California has demonstrated the impor- 

 tance of such crops in vineyard maintenance under such conditions as 

 those obtaining there. The results from the experimental vine^^ards 

 in California, which have been in progress for some 12 or 15 years, 

 on resistant varieties, adaptability, congeniality, productiveness, etc., 

 will serve as a basis for such modifications of the work as conditions 

 may make necessary in the future. 



The work with American bunch grapes has been confined chiefly 

 to the use of fertilizers, pruning experiments, and other cultural 

 features carried on in the experiment vineyard at Vineland, N. J. 

 This vineyard has also served as a source of supply for raw material 

 in connection with the fruit-utilization investigations, particularly 

 in studying the value of different grape varieties for the making of 

 unfermented juice. 



The Muscadine grape investigations have continued to yield ex- 

 ceedingly important results. While the breeding investigations, 

 Avhich promise very much for this industry, were temporarily inter- 

 ru.pted by war conditions, the work along other lines, particularly 

 the utilization of Muscadine grapes, has been stressed both because 

 of the relation of the utilization features to the food supply in the 

 conservation of this fruit and the relation of this phase of the work 

 to cultural problems. It has been determined that there is a pro- 

 nounced difference in varieties in their value for the making of fresh 

 juice and other products. The Thomas is the best of the varieties 

 now connnonly grown for unfermented juice, and it has high merit 

 compared with other varieties for most other uses. 



Under the cultural and particularly the pruning methods used in 

 the experiment vinej^ard at the Pender Test Farm, Willard, N. C, 

 excellent crops have been produced when, because of unfavorable 

 climatic conditions, other vineyards and vines in the surrounding 

 neighborhood have yielded little or no fruit. 



SUBTROPICAL FRUITS. 



The work with subtropical fruits has included studies of avocado 

 \arieties for Florida and citrus fruits for Florida, an investigation 

 of the Satsuma orange varieties in the Gulf States, a study of avocado 

 varieties for California, and the production of olives in California. 



