REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION 35 



said, with that deep, unreasoning^affection which a mother bears to her child, 

 and the greater the difficulties in his way, the harder the struggle to keep 

 the vine's enemies at bay, the stronger does his love for his vineyard seem 

 to grow. 



The love of the vine is one of the noblest attributes of man. It is as 

 strong to-day as it ever was. You can no more drive the love of the vine 

 out of the heart of man than you can expel from it honor, duty, patriotism, 

 and religion. 



GRAPE BREEDING. 



By R. D. ANTHONY, 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y. 



Read by Frederic T. Bioletti. 



It was only after a hundred years of failure that American grape growers 

 could be induced to abandon the European grape and seek for desirable kinds 

 among our hardy native species. Even then, the first native grape extens- 

 ively grown was deceptively introduced as a Vinifera. The marked success 

 of the Alexander and the fortunate discovery of the Isabella and Catawba 

 revived interest in grape growing and started many vine enthusiasts search- 

 ing the woods for better sorts. Although this resulted in the production of 

 the Concord, but little else of value was secured for nearly forty years. 



The second milestone showing the progress of grape breeding is engraved 

 with the date 1851 and marks the pollinating of Rogers' hybrids. Valk and 

 Allen had both used Vinifera blood in crossing previous to this, but their 

 results were not so promising nor so extensive as those at Salem and they 

 did not arouse the flood of enthusiastic amateur breeders which followed 

 after Rogers' work and which has left a very considerable impression upon 

 our grape industry. In the fifteen years following the dissemination of 

 Rogers' seedlings, nearly one-quarter of all the grapes cultivated in north- 

 eastern United States were introduced. Although many of the Vinifera 

 hybrids were disappointments, nevertheless the introduction of this blood 

 was an epoch-making event. 



The last sixty years have produced many new varieties, yet, from a 

 breeding standpoint, they have been a disappointment. Concord and Catawba, 

 poor as they are, still remain very important commercial varieties and few, 

 if any, hybrids have surpassed Rogers' first attempts. To be true, Jaeger 

 and Munson did much to improve the grapes of the Southwest, but, in general, 

 breeders have worked without plan and have kept only meagre records 

 of results. 



The rediscovery of Mendelism and the light which has been thrown upon 

 the laws of inheritance since then have shown breeders the necessity of a 

 thorough knowledge of the fundamentals before any considerable success 

 can be hoped for. To gather such information requires years of painstaking 

 effort and the study of a large amount of material. 



