SELECTION AND HYBRIDISATION OF AMERICAN VINES IN ITALY I397 



beauty of foliage. Their resistance has been the subject of experimental 

 tests at Macomer in Sardinia. In 1890 the best plants of selected Riparia 

 were crossed with Rupestris derived from seed ; crosses were also begun 

 between Rupestris and foreign vines (Malbec, Sirah, Cabernet, Pinot, 

 Muscat violet etc.). In 1893 Italian-American hybrids of Sangiove, Mal- 

 voisie de Toscane, Aglianico, »Sciascinoso, Aleatico, with Rupestris were 

 obtained. 



Finally in 1903 and 1904 vines selected in France were brought from the 

 Tremiti Islands and hybridisation with American vines was given up. 

 On the other hand crosses of various European vines among themselves 

 were started with the object of obtaining better grapes, and among other 

 hybrids the following were produced : 



Trebbiano X Riesling du Rhin 



Pinot blanc 



Traminer blanc 



Sauvignon 



Riesling 



Merlot 



Cabernet 



Pinot 



3) Cagliari {Sardinia) and Catania {Sicily), Schools of Vine- growing 

 and Wine-making. Florence {Tuscany) School of Horticulture and Fruit- 

 growing. — From seeds imported from America some good types have 

 been produced, which have given satisfactory results in those districts 

 where they were obtained. 



4) Conegliano {Venezia), School of Vine-growing and Wine-making. — 

 From seedlings of Riparia, a Riparia tomentosa was selected which was 

 extensively cultivated in the district of Conegliano ; it gave such good re- 

 sults that some vine^^ards grafted on this plant are still found in full pro- 

 duction after thirty' 3'ears. 



This t3^pe as well as other excellent types obtained from seed were 

 given up when vine plants selected in France were imported. At the same 

 time selections from cuttings of American and European vines were tried, 

 and the method proposed by Ravaz was employed as the basis of selection 

 {i. e. the starch content of the cutting is determined b}' the iodine reac- 

 tion) but these experiments were interrupted by changes in the staff of the 

 school. 



Twent}' years ago some hybrids of Cinerea X Pagadebito were obtain- 

 ed ; these were not devoid of interest but the- experiment was not follow- 

 ed up. 



Dalmasso, professor of vine-growing and wine-making, has at the pre- 

 sent time extended the observations and researches on the adaption and 

 affinity of the principal American stocks, and has taken up the work of 

 hybridisation and selection conducting the latter according to the method 

 proposed by Ravaz. 



5) Grumello del Monte {Lomhardy), School of Practical Agriculture. — 

 Some good types have been obtained from vines grown from seed, and 



