THE VINE AND CIVILISATION. 67 
Catawba and Norton’s Virginia are generally considered the 
best grapes for wine making in Missouri, and notwithstanding 
late cold springs, mildew, and the rot, good wine is made; 
while experience and good cellars are effecting great improve- 
ment in wine from the Western grape, as art has already in 
Cook’s Imperial produced a sparkling wine that fairly com- 
petes with champagne. 
Vitis Labrusea has given the following improved varieties: 
Catawba, Concord, Diana, Hartford Prolific, Iona, Isabella, 
Ives, Martha, Dracut Amber, Pocklington, Union Village and 
others. 
Y. Estivalis furnishes Eumelon, Herbemont, Norton’s Vir- 
ginia. 
V. Riparia, Clinton and Taylor Bullit. 
Hybrids claim Delaware, Rogers’ Hybrids, and Allen’s 
. Hybrids. 
It is well known that in some localities many of the best 
varieties of our native grapes do not succeed on account of 
their foliage being destroyed more or less by mildew, which is 
known as peronospora viticola. Its presence may be seen on 
the upper surface of the foliage, and in clear weather spots of 
a yellowish tinge become brown coloured, afterwards crisp and 
dry, and ultimately the leaf is destroyed. It is affirmed that 
mildew can be obviated by planting the vine on sloping hill 
sides contiguous to valleys, where dews and excessive moisture 
are less frequent, as the predisposing cause of this particular 
species of fungus, is an excess of moisture on the foliage, as 
the climates where grapes do well are those that are nearly 
exempt from dews, and, in consequence, nearly all varieties of 
grapes retain their foliage during the summer. 
The disease called the Rot in the fruit, the best evidence 
shows, is produced by atmospheric influences, for it may be 
