November 19, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



715 



and effective generalization it is no less con- 

 spicuous. The botanist, culturist and inter- 

 breeder will each and aU find the latest word 

 from an adequate authority whose conclusions 

 are convincingly stated with all the evidence 

 in plain view. The value of the conclusions, 

 aside from the high reputation of the author, 

 is made manifest by a vast accumulation of 

 facts well classified in the text, and by 86 

 full-page half-tones from nature photographs 

 and other appropriate illustrations. 



These reproductions of seed, wood, leaf, 

 flower and fruit, executed with consummate 

 skill of photographer and printer, under the 

 jealous scrutiny of Dr. Munson, are far be- 

 yond anything heretofore brought out in 

 black and white in this line. 



Preceded by a choice portrait of the author, 

 as a frontispiece, followed by a dedication in 

 form of an original poem, the preface states 

 succinctly the reasons which necessitate 

 founding American grape culture upon the 

 native species as a base. A modest review of 

 the author's lifetime work in this field, a clear 

 statement of the ideals to be sought in the 

 compounding of strains and a list of vine- 

 yards and nurseries used as experimental 

 grounds during more than thirty years of ob- 

 servation, culture and breeding, fill out the 

 introductory pages. 



Chapter I., of 101 pages, on the Botany of 

 American Grapes, is replete with information, 

 and constitutes a contribution of great im- 

 portance to science. This has the merit of 

 presenting a very complex subject, not without 

 autocratic decisions, but always with clear 

 indication of the facts which justify such con- 

 clusions in the author's mind. Dr. Munson's 

 observations have been more wide-spread and 

 continuous, his studies more profound and his 

 methods more precise than other investigators 

 in this field. His revised scheme of classifica- 

 tion here published may therefore be taken 

 with confidence for just what he regards it — 

 an attempt to arrange the species of grapes in 

 a scheme of classification which shall, as 

 nearly as possible, group them in accordance 

 with natural relationships, that is to say, " in 

 approximate chronological order of develop- 

 ment," the unknown " chronology and actual 



genealogy " being inferred from similarities 

 in form and especially from biological simi- 

 larities. As such, this is a decided advance in 

 systematic botany, although it is confessedly 

 and approximately framed primarily for the 

 guidance of practical culturists instead of 

 philosophic students. 



In this chapter the 28 species allowed (26 

 American, 2 foreign) are carefully described 

 in minute detail, by botanical characters, with 

 typical full-page illustrations, followed in 

 each instance by very full " Viticultural Ob- 

 servations and Remarks," giving a vast 

 amount of information regarding growth from 

 seed and cuttings, foliation, inflorescence, re- 

 sistance to disease, natural and artificial 

 crosses and hybrids. 



Chapter II., Breeding of Varieties of 

 Grapes, covers 27 pages fii valuable discussion 

 on thoroughbred vines, selection of parents, 

 order of germination, blooming periods, length 

 of life, soil adaptability, climatic range, 

 longevity, market value, analyses of fruit, 

 graft stocks, selections of varieties for breed- 

 ing north and south, for wine or table use, 

 description of ideal variety, directions for 

 crossing and hybridizing, collecting and pre- 

 serving pollen, labeling seeds, planting seeds, 

 care of seed-beds, transplanting, nursery treat- 

 ment, and much valuable suggestion concern- 

 ing allied subjects. Several tables of great 

 interest are interspersed, making this chapter 

 a most profitable mine of information of orig- 

 inal character. 



Chapter HI., of 74 pages, arranges alpha- 

 betically by mother species the prominent 

 varieties of grapes, discussing each very fully 

 by descriptive text and full-page illustrations, 

 showing the pedigree clearly and all details of 

 origin, constitution and other information 

 needed by growers. 



Chapter IV., Adaptation of Varieties, treats 

 of resistance to cold, heat, wet, drouth, soils, 

 insects, fungi, followed by Select Lists of 

 Varieties for Various Regions, giving a com- 

 plete outline of distribution in eight zones. 

 Of this arrangement, Dr. Munson justly re- 

 marks : " It is the opinion of the writer that 

 this chapter is one of the most valuable pieces 

 of grape literature ever presented to the prac- 



