AND WINE MAKING. 149 



of climatic adaptation of tho Labruscas here, extends to 

 every portion of their structure. They start off beauti- 

 fully and promise well for a time, but after two or three 

 annual crops, they rapidly decline, showing every sign of 

 premature old age. The southern limit of this family 

 could be learned by a careful system of correspondence. 

 Mr. E. W. Krausse, of Waco, a careful experimenter, has 

 an experience with them similar to my own, and agrees 

 with me in his conclusions. It appears also that the 

 cestivalis of the Norton type are successful at Waco, three 

 hundred miles north of me. Here, I have not succeeded 

 with them, I call them, for convenience, the Northern 

 cestivalis. Those of the Herbemont type, belonging to 

 the Southern group, seem to succeed anywhere North 

 where the winters do not freeze them out. There are 

 nourishing vineyards of the Herbemont, from my nursery, 

 a hundred miles south of me. The Lenoir was planted 

 there at the same time, but the Herbemont (Warren) has 

 driven the Lenoir from these vineyards, as the former is 

 there found every way superior in fruit, though only equal 

 in vine. Texas is the true home of the Southern cestivalis 

 varieties of the grape. They endure both extremes of 

 heat and cold, to which we are subject, and no drouth, 

 however severe, can affect the plants unfavorably when 

 they are once established. They must be allowed a 

 plenty of wood in pruning. 



[FROM LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 23, 1877.] 



* * * The Clinton and Golden Clinton are the only 

 cordifolia varieties that I have tried here. They died 

 during the sixth year, having produced two good crops. 

 My own theory has been, and yet is, something lik'e this: 

 That the Southern cestivalis must furnish the grapes for 

 the extreme South, either by itself or by hybridization on 



