San Antonio, April 23, 1&75 



Dr. George Engelmann, St. Louis, Mo. 

 Dear Sirl 



At the Suggestion of Mr. Fred J. Lindheimer in New Braunfels, with whom T 

 have for several years been in correspondence re garding plants, namely also cacti, 

 and who in recent times has sent me all of his Orders f I am today turning to you 

 and hope you will be so kind and give me information. 



As a result of the devastation which in recent years has occurred in the 

 vineyards of France \jv the Phylloxira jvastatrix , namely at your recommendation and 

 instigation, Texas grape vines were sent to Europe, I myself have sent a sample shir- 

 ment to Montpellier and to H aage & Schmidt in Erfurt. With the latter house I have 

 already been in touch for years, in that I send seeds & plants from here and in return 

 import the same kinds here. The shipment to Mo n tpellier was forwarded to me through 

 Mr. Lindheimer, and at his Suggestion I sent the large berried?, blue so-called 

 Mustang - grape , Vitis labraxa , to Erfurt. The same, also V. aestivalis , called Bottom 

 grape here, grows in Bottoms, climbs over the tallest trees, has smaller berries but more 

 compact grapes and is pretty sweet. Furth ermore V. rupestris , so-called Mountain grape 



less climbing and rather small forming very small blue grapes with small but 



sweet berries, with deeply serrated, dark green leaves and very slender vines. 



Of all t^ere are still various Speeles, you can probably give me more detailed 

 information. Namely I find that you recommend Vitis candicans from Texas and the 

 description fits completely, also the one given to me by Mr. Lindheimer as labraxa , the 

 difference is really very small. In autumn T should again send out larger quantities 

 of grapes as also seeds, and would really like to be more certain of the species. 



Herewith I am sending you some seed of a to you trrob-hly well known but, as 

 far as I know, not yet cultivated Catalpa from Prof. Koch in Berlin, who, of those 

 sent, only about 1-1/2 years ago recognized as something new, (a novelty) now however 

 is recognized as one described about 50 years a^o by Don as Chilopsis saligna and 



