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Gift 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE RESISTANT VINE QUESTION IN GENERAL. 



The most important characteristic and the most consequential 

 in its effect in different ways, which all species of the grape vine 

 have in common, is their extreme and peculiar sensitiveness to 

 temperature conditions of the soil and the atmosphere and gen- 

 erally much more the 'sensitiveness to such conditions of the former 

 than of the latter. The scope of this sensitiveness of either the 

 root or top varies very much with the different species, varieties 

 and hybrids; in, fact there are no two of these which are exactly 

 alike in this respect, but it is always within well-defined boundaries. 

 In comparing this sensitiveness of the root with that of its top 

 of different vines, we find a multiplicity of combinations, which 

 are most remarkable and if it were possible, that they could be 

 well understood in every case, would remove obstacles, which at 

 the present time, appear almost unsurmountable. 



My attention was first called to this some years ago^ when I 

 compared the behavior of certain varieties, planted on soils, pre- 

 senting different temperature conditions during spring and with 

 a surrounding atmosphere, which'' also showed a difference in 

 this respect. In one locality \)which; 1, shall call A, the soil is 

 gravelly and somewhat loose, and in "the, other locality, which I 

 shall call B, the soil is a clay-loam, capable of holding a great 

 amount of water in suspension;! during spring. But while at B, 

 the temperature of the overlying\atmosphere is uniform and gen- 

 erally warm during spring, A is Known as having cold and frosty 

 nights at that time, although during the middle of the day the 

 temperature of the two respective atmospheres is about the same. 

 A has a soil which warms up readily during spring, but an atmos- 

 phere which is exceedingly cold at times. B has an atmosphere 

 which is uniformly mild. Of the leading table grape varieties 

 the Tokay starts growth first at A and last at B. The Cornichon 

 starts growth first at B and last at A. The Lenoir 

 starts growth exceedingly early during spring at A and makes 

 almost all its seasonal growth within about a month after starting. 

 At B it starts growth later, but still slightly ahead of the Cornichon 

 and then grows steadily all summer. This should prove con- 

 clusively that the scope of sensitiveness of root or top of the 

 Lenoir, Tokay and Cornichon is not the same. In a similar 



