24 Observations. 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



Riparia. 



larger, more compact clusters, and possessing 

 both more acid and sugar. V. Riparia ranges 

 fartliest north of an}' species, extending to 

 So'* N. latitude, where winter temperature 

 often reaches 40 degrees below zero (F.)- It 

 was the first American species used in France 

 as a resistant stock to graft upon, and is still 

 very extensively used there and in other 

 countries (lately also in California) where the 

 Vinifera vines are grown.* Like Rupestris 

 it does best in sandy soils, well drained, yei 

 supplied with permanent moisture. In its 

 hybrids with the larger Labrusca, or with 

 Lincecumii and Vinifera hybrids, using the 

 best varieties as a base, may the best grapes 

 for the extreme Northwest be produced. 



V. SoLONis is a bushy, upright-growing 

 species, of similar habit and liking with V. 

 Bitjiestris, found along the banks of rivers 

 and in beds of small streams of the Panhandle 

 region of Northwest Texas and the eastern 

 portion of New Mexico. In form of leaf and 

 flavor of fruit it is closely allied toT". Ripuria. 



(Extract from the Third Edition.) 



* ViTis Riparia. — This most widely diffused 

 American species of grape-vines was but imper- 

 fectly known up to within a few years, even to 

 botanists, so that they could not clearly dis- 

 tingui>li V. Eiparia from V. Cordifolia ; and they 

 were generally united under the one designation 

 ''Cordifolia " The preceding treatise by Dr. En- 

 gelmanu has shown their specific difference, but 

 the circumstances whereby this knowledge was 

 acquired are so interesting and instructive that 

 we. who have almost providentially led thereto, 

 deem it our duty to record them. 



In the winter of 1875 we received from France 

 an order for several hundred thousand long cut- 

 tings, mostly of the '■'■Taylor,^'' which variety had 

 been recognized as the best grafting stock among 

 those with which they had experimented. In 

 view of the impossibility to furnish one hundred 

 thousand or more Taylor cuttings (as this variety 

 is, on account of its deficient productiveness, but 

 little cultivated), our G. E. Meissner proposed to 

 send them w^Hd lllparia or Cordifolia cuttings, 

 which bear the greatest resemblauce to the Tai/lor, 

 one of its cultivated varieties, and which we had 

 every reason to believe would prove equally satis- 

 factory, if not more so, as a Phylloxera-resisting 

 grafting stock, for the reconstruction of their dev- 

 astated vineyards. The success was beyond our 

 most sanguine expectations, and since that time 

 this species was more and more recognized as the 

 great remedy for the Phylloxera-destroyed vine- 

 yards of France. 



Very large quantities were then ordered from 

 us, and we had to look about for tiiem far and 

 near; nor was it an easy matter to avoid the ad- 

 mixture of Cordifolia, Cinerea, ^'Estivalis, and 

 other wild grapes, which would not answer. 



The careful, observing French vintners to whom 

 these Riparias were so K'ery valuable for their 

 vigorous rapid development in almost every soil, 

 their great adaptability to rooting and grafting, 

 and their perfect immunity from the Phylloxera, 

 soon recognized that the so-called '^Riparia or 

 Cordifolia"' embraced quite a group of somewhat 



Solonis also suffers greatly from the long 

 drouthy summers of the Southwest, iu upland 

 sandy soils, but iu bottom lands, or sub-irri- 

 gated lands, where alone it occurs natively, 

 it flourishes. It is used to a considerable ex- 

 tent as a graft-stock in Europe. The writer 

 of this has produced a number of hybrids of 

 it with Rupestris, Lincecumii, Elvira, etc., in 

 most of which flue wine properties prevail, it 

 gives great sprightliness in combination with 

 Vinifera and Labrusca-Vinifera combinations. 

 V. DoANiAXA is extensively climbing, less 

 branching, with larger, whitisli, downy, more 

 lobed leaves, much larger clusters and berries 

 than is Soloiris. It grows in the regions and 

 localities of the Texas Panhandle country. 

 For a wild grape the fruit is often really 

 good, but the skin possesses some pungeuc}', 

 similar to that in V. Candicans. This species 

 is much more deeply penetrating in root and 

 drouth-resisting on upland than either of the 

 previously described. It is capable of making 

 a very fine graft-stock, and is also one of the 



deviating forms, of larger and smaller foliage, 

 more or less hairy, more or less dark in color of 

 wood, etc. They found, besides, that some cut- 

 tings (Cordifolia) would fail to root, though they 

 arrived and were planted in the best condition. 

 This, naturally, led to the study of their botanic 

 character, now so fully established that we can at 

 sight recognize and distinguish the true Riparia 

 from Cordifolia: aye, in the mere cutting, iu 

 winter, as well as iu the young plant and in the 

 seed. 



To Prof. Millardet, of Bordeaux, belongs the 

 honor to have established the character of certain 

 distinction between Biparia and Cordifolia, whirh 

 species Michaux had justly separated, but which 

 most later botanists had confounded. (See Vigne 

 Americaine, Oct., 1878.) 



Dr. Despetis, who made the Biparia a special 

 study, says that he knows 380 varieties or sub- 

 varieties of Riparia; some are tomentous (downy- 

 leaved), others glabrous (smooth-leaved); some 

 have light-red wood, others dark, and some even 

 white (gray) wood. But they all resist everj'- 

 where and succeed generally well on limestone 

 hills. 



Manj' a grape-grower will ask : Of what prac- 

 tical importance is it to know the botanic charac- 

 teristics of any species':' The answer is, that it 

 enables us to determine to which species a culti- 

 vated variety belongs, and to know thereby, be- 

 yond doubt, which (jualities, common to all de- 

 scendants of such species, it will have; what kind, 

 of >oil or location is most suitable; whether it 

 will easil}'^ grow from cuttings, be more or less 

 subject to certain diseases, be more or less hardy,^ 

 etc. 



The Vitis Riparia comprise the most healthy 

 and iiardy grapes of the North Central States 

 (N. C. S.), formerly designated .as the Northwest, 

 extending to the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming,. 

 Colorado and New Mexico, and is found equally 

 healthy and more productive at the south, in Ar- 

 kansas and Texas. Hence we may also judge, 

 from its geograplucal extension, as to its rare 

 adaptability to various climates. 



