Rotundifolia. 



GRAPE MANUAL. 



Hybrids. 27 



ftrwsca" and even toother species, no other species 

 has ever been designated by the name "Rotundi folia." 

 This latter designation would avoid confusion in the 

 grape nomenclature and is therefore preferable. Many 

 botanists, including Bertram, Le Conte, Rafinesque, 

 Ravanel, and Buckley, followed Michaux in calling it 

 " Rotundifolia," and we may be excused for not fol- 

 lowing Linnseus in this instance, and feel justified in 

 thus designating this southern species as it is known 

 among southern people, southern grape cultivators, 

 and their writers. The V. Rotundifolia is strictly con- 

 fined to the southern States, and in foliage and wood is 

 very unlike any other grape, either native or foreign, 

 distinguishing itself by its small, roundish, shining 

 leaves, never lobed, and green on both sides ; by its 

 bright, smooth bark, never scaly or shaggy ; by its 

 fruit, which forms no bunches, but grows in large, 

 thick-skinned and pulpy berries, only about 2-4-6 in 

 number on a stem ; by its tendrils, which are never 

 forked like those of other grape-vines. The varieties 

 of this type cannot be grown from cuttings. Pruning 

 does not benefit them ; on the contrary, they must be 

 left to grow free, without any trimming, except cutting 

 off smoothly the shoots and suckers from the ground 

 to the lath-work or scaffold which may have been 

 erected to support them. Without care or labor, save 

 some good cultivation of the soil, they produce annu- 

 ally large and sure crops, being entirely free from rot 

 and mildew, and, it seems, also from the attacks of 

 insects. The Vitis Rotundifolia, so far, enjoys perfect 

 immunity from Phylloxera, (some galls have been 

 found on their leaves, but no trace of the insect on 

 their roots, which are of an astringent, acrid taste). 

 This immunity caused them to be exported into 

 France, but their fruit is so deficient in grape sugar 

 (although it tastes sweet, containing scarcely any acid) 

 and it is so rich in musky flavor, that it cannot satisfy 

 the refined French taste ; and, as a grafting stock, the 

 hardness of the wood and different construction of the 

 bark make the Rotundifolia unfit for this purpose. 



P. J. Berkmans, of Augusta, Georgia, who makes 

 the propagation of this species a specialty, enumerates 

 seven varieties : SCUPPERNONG, FLOWERS, THOMAS, 

 MISH, TENDER PULP, PEDEE, and RICHMOND (there 

 exists also an Isabella-seedling under the name of 

 Richmond). 



HYBRIDS. 



Besides the varieties referred to either the one or the 

 other of these species, we now cultivate many grapes 

 which originated by cross-breeding, either through the 

 agency of wind or insects, or through the efforts and 

 skill of man. 



The former or natural hybridization is no doubt of 

 very frequent occurrence, but, as neither the act can 

 well be observed, traced or recognized, nor the character 

 of these young seedlings thus produced be ascertained, 

 they are generally passed unnoticed in the vineyard, or 

 are destroyed. Judging from the great tendency to 

 variation in seedlings of cultivated varieties, we are 

 inclined to believe that most varieties, generally called 

 pure seedlings, yet so very dissimilar to their parents, 

 are produced by natural hybridization. But the ques- 

 tion arises, how are grapes thus cross-fertilized by 

 nature without the aid of man? " By insects " seems 

 scarcely a sufficient explanation ; and we venture the 



the DELAWARE, 



following ne\f hypothesis, viz., that the stigma of the 

 grape does not receive the pollen of its own individual 

 blossom, as probably the two are not ready for fecun- 

 dation at the same moment. Thus a mere kindly 

 breeze may be sufficient to bring about cross-fertiliza- 

 tion where different varieties, blooming at the same 

 time, are growing in proximity to each other. 



Without discussing the subject any further, we state ' 

 that we believe to recognize in 



the ALVEY, a Hybrid between JE*tiv, and Vinifera: 

 the CREVELING, " " Labr. " Riparia; 



,, ) Labr. " Vinifera, or 



) Vinif. " Riparia; 

 the ELVIRA, " " Ripar. " Labrusca, 



and so in a few others (as will be mentioned in their 

 description) possessing certain distinct characteristics 

 ot two distinct species; and, while vre do not claim 

 to be botanists, we are glad to find our observations 

 endorsed by the botanists of both this country and of 

 Europe. 



From later observations (since the issue of our Cata- 

 logue, second edition) we are led to consider also the 

 LOUISIANA or RULANDER as hybrids between jEstivalis 

 and Vinifera'; and the HUMBOLDT, which the late Fr. 

 Muench supposed a pure seedling of the LOUISIANA, as 

 the result of an accidental cross between this and some 

 other variety. 



It has already been mentioned (page 20) that the 

 TAYLOR is now considered a cross produced by na- 

 tural hybridization between a Labrusca and a Riparia. 

 Characteristics of both species are quite distinct in the 

 Taylor-Seedlings of Rommel : the AMBER, ELVIRA, 

 ETTA, FAITH, MONTEFIORE, PEARL ; as also in Wasser- 

 zieher's Taylor-Seedling NOAH, &c. Accidental crosses 

 between different varieties of the same species must be 

 more frequent, though admitted but in few varieties, 

 such as BEAUTY (Catawba crossed with Maxatawny), 

 and NIAGARA (Concord crossed with Cassady), and ge- 

 nerally claimed to be "pure seedlings." 



The second class, hybrids produced by artificial 

 cross-fertilization, though of but recent date, are now 

 very numerous, and very interesting and important re- 

 sults have been attained through this agency. When 

 the supposition that the seedlings from foreign spe- 

 cies, raided in our own soil and climate, would be more 

 hardy, proved fallacious, efforts were made to secure 

 hybrids between the native grapes and Vitis Vinifera, 

 as it was hoped thus to combine the superior excel- 

 lence of the foreign with the Health and vigor of our 

 native plants, and in the opinion of some eminent hor- 

 ticulturists this desirable result has already been very 

 nearly or quite accomplished. 



But for practical grape-culture on a large scale, all 

 hybrids produced by crossing the foreign on our native 

 grapes have generally given unsatisfactory results in 

 this country. It is a remarkable fact that some of these 

 hybrids are very successful in Europe, as the TRIUMPH, 

 a cross between Concord and Chasselas mosquee by 

 Campbell ; the OTHELLO, a cross between V. Riparia 

 and Black Hamburg by Arnold ; BLACK EAGLE and 

 BLACK DEFIANCE, crosses between Concord and Black 

 St. Peters by Underbill. These and some other hy- 



* CROTON, a cross between Delaware and. Chasselas; 

 suffers from Phylloxera almost as badly as its parent, 

 the Chasselas de Fontainbleau. 



