our native grapes, was taken up and carefully studied, and used, in trying to identify the species 

 of the vines found in the woods. Many imperfections and errors were discovered in these works, 

 and it was apparent that they were inadequate, as guides, in identif3dng all the existing species, 

 and this led the author to undertake the task of completely working over American grape botany 

 into a new, more natural and thorough classification. 



Beginning original botanical research among our wild grapes in 1880, it has been continued 

 up to the present time, rewarding us with the correction of many errors in the old classification 

 and nomenclature, and with the discovery of a number of new species; besides, what was of 

 far more importance to practical vine culture, the finding of much valuable material, such as 

 fine wild varieties with which to start new families of market, table and wine grapes, and most 

 excellent resistant graft stocks, and many cultural principles of great practical value, necessary 

 to apply in order to reach the higher development of vineyard varieties. 



The grape herbariums of Harvard in Cambridge; of the Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia; 

 of the Qivision of Botany and of the National Museum in Washington, D. C. ; of Dr. Geo. Engel- 

 mann, in the Missouri Botanical Gardens of St. Louis, were studied and noted. All the species 

 and numerous hybrids were studied and noted in germination and development in the seed beds, 

 in the test vineyards and in points for practical vineyard purposes, as well as to learn strict 

 botanical characters, both formal and biological, — life-action and habit. The notes were always 

 made on the spot, in presence of the vines under study. 



Several years were spent thus accumulating facts before any attempt was made in 

 constructing a new classification. 



At that time the writer was in correspondence with Professors J. E. Planchon, A. Millardet, 

 Pierre Viala, and other leading French ampelographers, who have always held front rank in such 

 subjects. Their works on grape botany were carefully studied. 



Resume of the Author's Educational Work on American Grapes and Their 



Development 



It is presumed that a short mention of the writer's educative work on grapes will not be out 

 of place here. 



By invitation of Mr. Parker Earle, President of the American Horticultural Society 

 and Chief of the Horticultural Section of the Cotton Centennial Exposition, at New Orleans, 

 the writer, in 1885, exhibited, in the Horticultural Hall of the exposition, a complete set of her- 

 barial specimens, classified in glass frames, of all the known species of American grapes and 

 specimen plants of the same growing in pots. This was supplemented by a paper read before 

 the American Horticultural Society, hplding its sessions in the exposition building in New Orleans, 

 in February, 1885, and the paper was published in the report of the society for that year. This 

 paper contained my first attempt at a new botanical classification of grape species. The speci- 

 mens, at the close of the exposition, were presented to the University of Missouri, and were taken 

 in charge by Professor S. M. Tracy, Botanist of the University, and placed in the University 

 herbarium, Columbia, Mo. 



This new classification, with some revision, was set forth in a paper by the writer before 

 the American Pomological Society, meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in September, 1885, and 

 was published in the Society's report of that year, and favorably noticed by the horticultural 

 press. The new classification was yet very imperfect. 



Following this, during several years, The American Agriculturist, The Rural New-Yorker, 

 The American Gardening, Garden and Forest, Farm and Ranch, The Revue de Viticulture, of 

 France, and other leading horticultural and agricultural journals published illustrated articles 

 upon classification, hybridization and varieties of grapes prepared by the writer at request of • 

 their editors. 



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