152 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



will only succeed in the most limy ban-en soils, where 

 nothing else will grow. All attempts to raise it in the 

 coast region have failed, and yet I suspect that its failure 

 with us has been a matter of soil, and not of climate. 

 Having a small spot just like the soil of the mountains I 

 mean to test the matter. While it is true that this spe- 

 cies is quite worthless for cultivation here for the fruit, 

 yet as it its roots seem to be proof against Phylloxera, it 

 may be found valuable as a stock for the vinifera. 

 Some interesting experiments are in progress, with a 

 view to this use of the rupcstris. Four-year-old grafts 

 are yet highly promising. There is hope that by using 

 the rupestris as a stock, we may yet succeed with some 

 of the European varieties in spite of the Phylloxera, 

 wherever we can command the required soil. This ex- 

 periment is also being made in France with strong hopes 

 of success. 



THE SOUTHERN ^ESTIVALIS, not native here, must 

 furnish the main supply of varieties for Southern Texas. 

 Twenty-five years ago but few residents of this region be- 

 lieved it possible to succeed with any variety of cultivated 

 grapes. Mr. J. M. Voigt, then a resident here, and since 

 of Hermann, Mo., began the first systematic, persistent 

 experiments, with which I became acquainted in about 

 1855. He mostly cultivated Catawba, and extended his 

 experiments to about thirty-five varieties. I began simi- 

 lar experiments in 1858. I experimented with every 

 class that has been reduced to the service of the vineyard- 

 ist. The result was that I found nothing to give perma- 

 nent success outside of the southern branch of the V. 

 mtivalis. We call it Southern cestivalis for brevity, 

 without assuming authority to fix a designation. I ab- 

 hor a multiplication of unnecessary classifications. But 

 the forces of Nature have driven us to a distinction be- 

 tween what a few of us call Northern and Southern 

 cBstivaUs ; and the very singular climate of Southern 



