Millardet. Rec. May 4th 



Bordeaux, Aprit 19, 1881 



Sir and dear correspondent, 



I have here your letter of March 9th. and atso the package of seeds that came 

 with it. I thank you infinitely for one and for the other. The seeds are for me very 

 precious. Last year I received some seeds of Vitis Catifornica, that had been 

 picked by Mr. Charles Wetmore of California. They germinated perfectly and grew 

 well up to the month of September. However at this time they contracted the 

 mildew ( Geronospora viticola), that killed them completely by October. It is 

 definite that the Vitis californica will not be able to adapt to our French climate, 

 at least not that humid climate of the west. 



In regards the Vitis arizonica, it is the first time this year that I have received 

 seeds. Nearly at the same time that I received yours I got the ones sent by Mr. 

 Wetmore to my friends in Montpellier. I have just planted both of them. It will be 

 very interesting to study this species in regards the Phyllonera and the mildew. 



The Geronospora viticola made its appearance in Europe two years ago. It was 

 first seen in September 1879 in France. However since last autumn it was found 

 throughout France, on the border of the Rhine, in Switzerland, in Italy in Spain 

 and in Algeria. In some of the locations nearly one half of the 4 to 5 million 

 cultivators have been affected. 



This picture is already very sombre; I am mentioning this to ask you to be as 

 apprehensive as we are about the fate of our vinyards. The récent onslaught of 

 the extraordinarily rapid spread of the mildew is terrible. I was mentioning to you 

 earlier, the damage that was found during the last harvest. It is true that the 

 summer has been more humid than usual. However we can expect thèse westher 

 conditions many years and not in ail have we had this mildew, which eould 

 become a public calamity. If our climate would become humid every summer then 

 we could renounce the cultivation of grapes in Europe, at least in the régions 

 around the Mediterranean 



I published several small works since I have had the pleasure of writing to you; I 

 will collect ail of those that I feel are worth while in a few days, then edit them and 

 send you those that I have published. 



Allow me to présent your shrewdness with a problem. It is the following : the 

 American nurseries have grown 3 groups from that country of the Aestivalis 

 species: A- Norton, Virginia and Cysticana. B- Herbenon Jacquez, Lenoir 

 etc. C- Cunningham, Rulander (Devereux ?) etc. 



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