62 AMERICAN VINES. 



which may be considered as individual or intrinsic, and 

 these are shown in the various groups of the species by very 

 marked differences of vigour in the same groups. Some have 

 a feeble development which is a fixed individual character, 

 and consequently transmissible by cuttings; these must be 

 excluded from culture; only the vigorous forms in the 

 various groups should be propagated. Finally, in a natural 

 state, other individual variations (rather than varieties, for 

 they are not always reproduced as such by seed) besides 

 vigour, facility of rooting from cuttings, fertility, are seen, 

 which are possessed in a greater or less degree by certain 

 Berlandieri types, variations which may be maintained by 

 propagating from cuttings. 



Selection is necessary and indispensable amongst the 

 various forms of Berlandieri which have been introduced 

 into France since 1887, and also those formerly obtained from 

 seedlings. Perhaps it is premature, but in any case not 

 useless, to attempt to define the forms that have been intro- 

 duced and which appear to possess the greatest value. As a 

 general fact, the most vigorous, without distinction of name, 

 with very thick leaves, shining on both faces, with the 

 extremities of the branches slightly tomentose, with golden- 

 brown young leaves, are the most perfect; these are the char- 

 acters of forms which, in the wild state, grow in the most, 

 calcareous soils. 



The thickness of the tomentum divides the Berlandieri 

 into two large but still connected groups, for the hairs are 

 never entirely absent, even in the most glabrous forms. The 

 tomentose Berlandieri have cobwebby hairs, especially on the 

 young branches, on the principal ribs, and numerous stiff 

 hairs on the sub-ribs. The leaves are large, 10 to 12 cm. 

 (4 to 5 inches), dull under-face, goffered structure, some- 

 times thin. These varieties have occasionally cordiform 

 leaves recalling V. Cinerea, of which they are without doubt 

 hybrids, especially when the upper-face is finely goffered and 

 dull, as also on the under face. All these tomentose forms 

 are peculiar to the rich and often siliceous soils, little cal- 

 careous and fresh, on the banks of rivers. Consequently 

 they have no value for chalky soils. We will not attempt to 

 characterize the forms of this group. 



The less tomentose forms, which we will call, for distinc- 

 tion, glabrous Berlandieri, have smaller leaves, thicker, 

 harder, and more or less folded inwards along the mid-rib, 



