CHAPTER Vin. 



WHAT GRAPES TO PLANT — CHOICE OF VARIETIES. 



Any one who attempts to advise beginners what vari- 

 eties of grapes to plant is treading on very hazardous 

 ground. Such advice is much more difficult to give 

 now than it was ten years ago, when the area planted to 

 grapes was far more limited, both East and West. 

 Comparatively few varieties of American grapes only 

 were cultivated east of the Rocky mountains, while to 

 the westward of them varieties of the Vitis vinifera 

 were exclusively grown. That is all changed now. The 

 geographical boundary between the American and the 

 Vinifera varieties is by no means sharply defined. Many 

 of the latter are now cultivated in some parts of Texas 

 with encouraging success, while vineyardists in the Pa- 

 cific States have to rely on American stocks at least for 

 their only security against the insidious and destructive 

 phylloxera. Grape culture has extended into regions 

 where it was not thought of ten years ago, and enterpris- 

 ing propagators have originated great numbers of new 

 varieties. A few of these have attained popularity as 

 standard sorts ; others are more or less promising ; and 

 a still greater number are on trial, or have proved un- 

 worthy of cultivation. Only time and patient trial can 

 determine the permanent value of these and the other 

 new varieties which nearly every year brings forth. 

 The nearer I approach to the boundaries of the " unseen 

 land," the more conservative do my views become, and 

 the greater my reluctance to offer dogmatic advice 

 which, however well intended, may prove misleading in 

 the end. The best advice that I can offer to beginners 

 in grape culture is to visit the vineyards of their neigh- 

 bors and learn what varieties have been successful there. 



