THE AMERICAN GRAPES. 229 



the period in the near future when grapes as high in 

 quality as the best known in Europe or Asia will become 

 commercial over the Union. So far we have been working 

 to secure desirable dessert varieties, while in Europe the 

 leading effort has been in the direction of perfecting the 

 wine grapes. 



On the Pacific slope the European varieties have been 

 grown successfully since the first Spanish settlement, and 

 its seeds have been scattered by birds and animals until it 

 is now common as a wild vine in the hills. At Fresno, 

 California, in the Salt Kiver valley of Arizona, and at 

 other points in the arid sections, the raisin varieties reach 

 a perfection rarely attained in their natal home on the 

 Mediterranean hills. The commercial growing of the best 

 raisin grapes not only requires the soil and air suited to 

 their perfect development, but the hot, dry air needed for 

 their drying must be continuous. In our broad domain, 

 therefore, we not only grow the best wine and table grapes 

 of Europe, and the best raisin grapes of the Orient, but are 

 blessed with a new race, home developed, adapted to the 

 wants of less equable sections east of the mountains. The 

 native species from which the best of our northern varieties 

 have been developed by selection and crossing is the Vitis 

 Idbrusca of the Eastern States. This is known as the fox 

 grape in the Eastern States, Canada, and south to the 

 Gulf. Such varieties as the Concord, Word en, Moore's 

 Early, Cottage, and indeed about all of our best northern 

 grapes, sprang from seeds of this species. 



The summer grape ( Vitin cestivalis) of the South and 

 Southwestern States has given us some good varieties for 

 wine-making, and some for dessert use. Norton's Vir- 

 ginia, Herbemont, Cynthiana, Hermann, and other varie- 

 ties are of this class. 



The river-bank wild grape of the AVest and Southwest 



