AND WINE MAKING. 155 



ence, and careful observation from a climatic stand- 

 point not yet occupied by our older and more north- 

 ern horticulturists. I can hardly give my general con- 

 clusions in less spice than to condense them from a 

 letter written to Prof. Husmann last year. 



My own theory, as applied to the United States, has 

 been, and yet is, something like this : That besides the 

 rotundifolia, the Southern mstivalis family (of which the 

 Herbemont, Louisiana, and Lenoir are types), must fur- 

 nish the grapes for the extreme South, either by itself, 

 or by hybridization on southern natives. That the 

 northern limit of the Southern cestivalis is governed by 

 the isothermal line, beyond which it fails, for a sufficient 

 time, to receive the needed heat in summer, or is killed 

 by the cold of winter. That the Northern cestivalis (of 

 which the Cynthiana and Norton are a type) will flourish 

 still further north, but will give poor results in the ex- 

 treme South. That the regions or zones of the cestivalis 

 family overlap each other in the northern portions of 

 Texas and other localities. 



That the Labrusca family belongs still north of the 

 cestivaliSf but will thrive in the northern portion of the 

 Northern cestivalis belt, while below that region it will 

 appear successful for a time, but decline after two or 

 three good crops. 



That the cordifolia will succeed in both the Labrusca 

 and Northern cestivalis belt, but will fail in the southern 

 portion of the Southern c&stivalis belt. 



That the vinifera varieties, although adapted to our 

 climate, must fail everywhere sooner or later, on account . 

 of Phylloxera, except in localities where they are pro- 

 tected by special causes. 



That the above families of grapes will give first-class 

 results only in their climatic bounds, not because of any 

 one peculiar feature of the growth, but because of their 

 constitution throughout the various parts of their being. 



