2 BULLETIN C03, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



More specifically, the insect is a native of the Mississippi Valley, 

 where the vines have developed a resistance to phylloxera, and such 

 species as Vitis riparia, V. rupestris, V. aestivalis, etc., thrive, not- 

 withstanding the presence of the insect. These wild species possess 

 varying degrees of immunity and through scientific selection and 

 hybridization have yielded types of vines possessing inherent de- 

 grees of immunity, known to viticulture as resistant vines, or re- 

 sistant stocks when designated as a root upon which to graft com- 

 mercial varieties of grapes in order to circumvent the ravages of 

 phylloxera. 



Vitis calif omica is a wild species of vine found not only in Cali- 

 fornia but throughout the Pacific coast. Because normally found free 

 of phylloxera in its wild state, it was at one time tried out as a 

 resistant stock upon which to graft commercial varieties, but proved 

 a complete failure in all but one or two instances. Even under normal 

 conditions and environment, when once attacked it succumbs to the 

 injury by the insect. 3 



The Mission grape is a cultivated variety of Vitis vinifera, and 

 although of European origin, its introduction to the Pacific coast is 

 so intimately related with the first settlement of California under 

 Spanish rule that it well deserves the oft-attributed title of " Cali- 

 fornia grape" (7) 4 . The Mission grape was introduced into Cali- 

 fornia by the Padres of the Roman Catholic missions. As early as 

 1524 (18, p. 17), while Cortez was governor of Mexico, then called 

 New Spain, seeds and plants were most often part of the cargo 

 of vessels plying between the mother country and her colonies. 

 Grapes and olives are plants mentioned as being among these. It is 

 to be assumed that about that time Vitis vinifera varieties were intro- 

 duced into Mexico from Spain 5 through both cuttings and seeds 

 (1, v. 2, p. 131-133; v. 3, p. 613). 



3 In the Annual Report of the California Board of State Viticultural Commissioners 

 for 1887. published in 1888, pages 47— 18, may be found the following : " While visiting 

 Mr. Hagan's vineyard, we were led to examine an old vine — V. califomica — which 

 appeared like one infested with phylloxera. This surmise proved correct * * *. 



" The commission has often sought for evidences of phylloxera on our wild vines in 

 their native state, but up to this time none has been found, this being the first case of 

 the kind discovered." (See " Literature cited (5),'" p. 127.) 



4 Numbers in parentheses refer to " Literature cited," p. 127. 



5 In this connection F. T. Bioletti, professor of viticulture .at the University of Cali- 

 fornia, writes as follows : " No one has yet been able to trace the Mission grape with 

 certainty to any European variety. It is a remarkable coincidence, if nothing else, that 

 a Sardinian grape known as the Monica resembles the Mission very closely. The Monica 

 is said to lie a favorite grape of the monks in Sardinia, and it seems probable that the 

 missionary monks of Mexico, finding it difficult to transport cuttings from their original 

 homos, obtained seeds of the grape which they liked the best and that from the seedlings 

 grown they chose the one which most resembled the grape they were looking for. If this 

 is in accordance with the facts, the Mission is simply a seedling of the Monica." 



He further advances the suggestion that the Mission might lie a seedling of the Monica, 

 as published in a report (2) of the viticultural work of the agricultural experiment 

 station of the University of California * * * 1887-1893. 



