SM des foro Oy ee eT) 
198 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
such varieties as the Iona, Walter, Eumelan, Diana, Croton, Delaware, _ 
Catawba, and others of first execlience. Partial success may sometimes 
be attained, owing to local conditions of protection and shelter; and, as 
has long ago been thoroughly demonstrated and reported, all these vari- 
eties can be grown to perfection when they are protected from heavy 
dews, either by artijicial or natural expedients, such as those of coy- 
ering the trellis upon which they are tied by a canopy of boards, ean- 
vas, or glass, or by allowing the vines to grow up in trees whose foliage 
will protect that of the vine. 
But little further progress can be attained in the culture of the grape, © 
either for table use or for the manufacture of wine, until a distinetion is 
practically reeegnized between the species and their varieties which are 
severally best saited for these respective purposes. In Europe, where 
all the cultivated grapes are said to have been produced from one species, 
the varieties are numerous, but they are divided into distinct classes, 
based upon their values as regards suitableness for wine, for table use, 
or for drying into raisins. 
In the United States we have several distinct native species, from on 
or other of which have been originated ali the varieties now in cultiva- 
tion. The only classification of these which has been presented looking 
to the arrangement of varieties under the species trom which they have 
been produced, will be found at page 81 of the Report of the Department 
of Agricuiture for the year 1869. An attempt was there made to draw 
attention to the most valuable peculiarities of the different species, pecu- 
Harities which are more or less inherited by the varieties which have 
originated from them, as also the climates to which they seemed best 
adapted. Since then some attention has been given to the significance 
‘and importance of the points embraced in that classification, but the 
subject is still unrecognized by the majority of those engaged in grape 
ealture. 
The idea that our native grapes would be more rapidly improved by 
securing hybrid kinds between them and the foreign species has long 
been entertained; and, although it has constantly been argued by some 
that no good result could thus be obtained, yet of late years much at- 
tention has been directed to this mode of improvement, and, as was to 
be expected, varieties of very superior merits have been produced, many 
of them equal to the best of the foreign varieties, in favor as well as in 
appearance, but no variety so produced has yet proved able to maintain 
itself as worthy of general cultivation; in fact, they are altogether un- 
reliable except under conditions where even the foreign grape can be 
raised with a good degree of success. This is much to be regretted, but 
it is nevertheless the truth that nothing of value and reliability has by 
this means been added to our list of hardy grapes, and ail experience, 
so far, in this direction only tends to prove the wisdom of the advice 
given many years ago that the line of improvement should be confined 
to hybridizing our native species with each other, and by selection ulti- 
mately procure varieties of reputed merit both for table use and for the 
manufacture of wines. Lut this improvement cannot be systematically 
pursued unless accompanied by a very distinct and clear understanding 
of the respective merits of American species. 
Until quite recently, varieties of the fox grape, Vitis labrusea, have 
mostly been produced, and these have been recommended and cultivated 
both fur wine and table use, and but little attention has been given to 
the improvement of other species, notwithstanding ‘that the summer 
grape, Vitis estivalis, and its varieties have vastly superior merits as 
wine grapes. No better evidence of this fact need be desired than the 
