a half mile distant, and illustrates how readily hybrids between cultivated and wild grapes 

 occur. Had a bird obtained those hybrid seeds from my vineyard, and dropped them far 

 distant in the woods and grew vines, that afterward some hunter had found full of ripe 

 grapes, he could have claimed that he had found a beautiful clear red Mustang grape about as 

 good as Catawba (for there is no mistaking that the variety shows Mustang much more than Elvira), 

 and it was Elvira that bore the seed from which I grew Elvicand. Here is a pure natural com- 

 promise of three very distinct species, one from the far Northeast, Labrusca, one from the cold 

 North, Vulpina, and one from the hot Southwest, Candicans, giving us a vine of great vigor and 

 rampant growth, leaves of medium size, leathery, dark green above, covered with dense white 

 woolly felt on under side and on young wood ; cluster small, compact, shouldered, peduncle short ; 

 berry globular, clear translucent red, above medium size, very persistent, the pedicel extracting 

 a small core, when berry is pulled off, as in Mustang; pulp tender, juicy, of a very sprightly 

 sweet, slight Mustang flavor. Vine bears heavily with long arm pruning. Colors at mid-season 

 but should hang several weeks to reach its best quality. Birds do not bother it until quite ripe. 

 This variety has received very favorable notice in South Texas and in California, as making a 

 peculiar, very agreeable light white wine. The fruit neither rots or cracks, and the foliage never 

 mildews. Here is a base on which to build a distinct very successful class of high colored grapes 

 for all the country south of Mason and Dixon's line. 



Labrusca- Vulpina-Candicans-Bourquiniana-Vinif era Hybrid 



VALHALLAH, T. V. M. 1893. ( ' f). (Elvicand x Brilliant). Vine a strong grower, 

 foliage much more resembling Brilliant than Elvicand, and a little subject to mildew in wet 

 seasons. Cluster small to medium, shouldered; berries large, dark, translucent red, globular, 

 persistent, skin tough, pulp tender, juicy, of very good quality, an improvement on Elvicand; 

 has a trace of Mustang pulp flavor, but none of the twang of skin ; ripe a little later than Concord 

 and hangs sound a long time. Adapted to same range as Elvicand, and especially suitable for 

 very limy soil. Plant 10 feet apart, give long arm pruning. 



Labrusca- Vulpina- Vinif era Hybrid 



ROMMEL, T. V. M. 1883. ( ' f). (Elvira x Triumph). Vine short-jointed, stocky, vigorous, 

 foliage clear green, having little pubescence, leaves of medium size, large, sharp-toothed, remind- 

 ing one of Vinifera more than Labrusca, subject to mildew late in summer, cluster good medium 

 size, compact, often shouldered, peduncle short; berry globular, medium to large, persistent, 

 greenish until fully ripe, then becomes a pale yellowish tint; skin very thin and delicate, yet it 

 rarely cracks ; flesh a sprightly melting jelly of the most agreeable delicate flavor, liked by every- 

 one. Too tender for shipping, but fine for local market; ripe with Concord. (See Plate LV., 

 page 165.) 



Vitis Lincecumii (Post-Oak-Grape) Varieties 



Of many thousands of wild vines of this species visited and tasted in the woods of Southwest 

 Missouri by Mr. Hermann Jaeger, and in Oklahoma, North and East Texas, by the writer, 

 the following were put in vineyard and used as mothers from which to breed varieties for cultiva- 

 tion: Big Berry, Early Purple, Jaeger Nos. 43 and 52, Lucky, Neosho, Premier, Secundo and 

 Ten Dollar Prize. 43, 52 and Neosho, were found in Missouri by Mr. Jaeger, and the others in 

 the Post-Oak timbered sandy lands in Grayson County, Texas, within a few miles of Denison, 

 during the years 1876 to 1884, when little of the country was fenced, and wild grapes were found 

 everywhere hereabouts, but where now rarely can a wild vine of this species be found, owing 

 to grape-hunters pulling the vines from the trees for their fruif,, and stock-browsing, and clearing 

 of land. The finding and bringing into cultivation and using these vines as breeders marks an 

 epoch in American viticulture that will go down in history with more value and renown than 

 even the Norton and Concord and Herbemont. 



178 



