XXVII.] THE DIRECTION OP PROMISE. 437 



lists which I have before me, that four -fifths of our 

 standard market grapes belong to the pure Labrusca 

 class, and that there is not one market hybrid which 

 is known to be a primary hybrid. 



It is impossible to draw many definite conclusions 

 from the present state of our viticulture as to the 

 most promising means of improving our grapes, but 

 it appears safe to say that satisfactory results are 

 not to be expected, as a rule, from primary hybrid- 

 izations, and that a considerable attenuation of the 

 specific blood in one or both parents is essential to 

 the best results ; that while most of the former 

 attempts to introduce vinifera blood have been only 

 partially successful, there is every promise of satis- 

 factory results in the future by using hybrids which 

 are already in existence ; that crossing between dif- 

 ferent pure stocks, or varieties of the same native 

 species, gives promise of excellent results ; and that 

 the employment of the most profitable and virile 

 stocks, either as parents of pure seedlings or as 

 parties to hybridization, as the Concord, is one of 

 the first requisites of success. 



