THE GRAPE DISEASES 89 



modes of propagation, and the like, would have been 

 lost to future generations! 



Some of the failure was also due to the root -louse 

 or phylloxera, but it was probably chiefly the result 

 of the incursions of the fungous disorders mentioned 

 in the last paragraph. The singular thing about 

 all these troubles is that they are native Americans. 

 From time unknown, they have preyed upon the native 

 grapes; but they were not serious upon these natives, 

 because all the most amenable types of grapes had long 

 since perished in the struggle for existence, and the 

 types which now persist are necessarily those which 

 are, in their very make-up or constitution, almost im- 

 mune from injury, or are least liable to attack. The 

 mildew, for example, finds little to encourage it in the 

 tough and woolly leaf of the fox -grape, and the phyl- 

 loxera finds tough rations on the hard, cord -like roots 

 of any of our eastern species of grapes. But an un- 

 naturalized and unsophisticated foreigner, being unused 

 to the enemy and undefended, falls a ready victim; or 

 if the enemy is transported to a foreign country, the 

 same thing occurs. These diseases are evidently not 

 native to our Pacific coast region, and the European 

 wine -grape was early introduced there about the mis- 

 sions of the Franciscans, and it has thrived until the 

 present day. In fact, the grape industry of California 

 is like to that of Europe, chiefly wine and raisins, 

 and is built upon the Old World wine -grape ( Vitis 

 vinifera) ; and for this reason I have omitted, in the 

 previous account, all reference to our Pacific grape- 

 culture. But the phylloxera is now introduced upon 

 the Pacific coast, and is doing much mischief. 



The mildew and black -rot and phylloxera have all 



