152 AMERICAK GEAPE GROWING 



will only succeed in the most limy barren 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 rupestris. Eour-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" ^stivalis, 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 F. 

 cBstivalis. We call it Southern cestivaUs 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 

 (Bstivalis ; and the very singular climatd of Southern 



