Loyal Valley, Mason Co. Texas 

 Sept. 1k, 1879 



Respected Dr. Engelmann, 



In answer to your esteemed letter of July 21 I sent to you per reg. 

 package No. l*f on July 31st 1 box with ripe fruit and seed of the treelike 

 growing Yucca Pocealliana with trunk circumference of 2k - 32 inches and 

 10 - 15 feet high, which I have here; however from the post office in Houston 

 I received the enclosed notice, according to which in spite of good packing, 

 probably because of the great heat, they were spoiled and had to be thrown away. 

 This is the large Yucca whose fruit is gathered by the Lipan and Comanche Indians, 

 after removal of the bark and somewhat bitter tasting seeds, mashed in wooden 

 mortar and formed into cakes which look like chewing- 1 obac c o plugs and taste like 

 preserved pears. Major Neifrhbors, formerly Indian Agent for the State of ^exas 

 for the Lipan Indians and later U.S. Indian as-ent for the Indians in Texas, told 

 me that he has often eaten these cakes and found them of ftood taste. After reeeint 

 of your letter of July 21st. I made every effort to find the so-called Post oak 

 Grape. However it does not occur at all in this higher country. On the other band 

 the Vitis Monticola , or as Lindheimer has called it V itis Montana , mountain & ra P e 1S Vi 

 plentiful everywhere in the West and in the higher country; in the lower country I 

 have never found it. Also it does not occur anywhere up here where the granite region 

 prevails and anyway is found only in lime soil. The grapes are sweet and very often 

 with tightly closed berries. As a rarity, now and then a white or yellowish sport 

 occurs, just like Vitis Cabrusa rather seldom also with white or yellowish berries 

 apparently occurs only as a sport. This year the mountain grapes were quite rare. 

 Because of the very unusual drouth the grapes either feil off or dried on the vines. 

 On a journey of 200 miles from here to New Braunfels and back on two different routes, 

 I did not find one grape which I could send as a sample. Finally I sueeeeded 5 miles 

 from here in a bottom and in the limestone (chalk) formation, to find a considerable 

 quantity of beautiful grapes, of which I am sending you a small box p. registered 

 pack. No. 28, aecording to the receipt, has been delivered to you. But in what 

 condition is questionable. If they are spoiled, then please let me know how one must 

 pack them, so that they will arrive in good condition. However assuming that the 

 grapes in the box were not spoiled, then because this year the grapes and berries 

 are much smaller than usual, they 'vould not give you a proper picture of the good 

 mountain grape. On our calcareous ground or stony lime-hills they could never be 

 better; in fertile bottoms and with sufficient rain the grapes and berries beco^e 

 larger, closer together, more juicy and sweeter. A ^'ine is made from them which, 

 if no sugar or water is added, resembles a dark, heavy Burgundy. But in l^ter times 



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