POSSIBILITIES OF OUR NATIVE GRAPES. 



585 



restricted range and a lesser combination of characters 

 than are generally ascribed to it. Norton's Virginia, 

 although generally regarded as pure aestivalis, has some 

 slight Labrusca characteristics, but so little that it may 

 be taken as the best representative of the species in cul- 

 tivation. 



In the hilly regions of western North Carolina and 

 eastern Tennessee, the wild aestivalis often has large, 

 long, handsome, compact clusters of medium sized 

 berries. Some of these are of good wine properties ; 

 but the fruit of the species is generally very astringent, 

 and not palatable. 



Quite a number of seedlings and hybrids of Norton's 

 Virginia have been produced by H. Langendorfer and 

 J. Balsiger, of Missouri, and by the writer, as well as by 

 some others. The pure seedlings are generally very 

 puny, often have a white fruit, rarely are equal to the 

 parent, and very rarely a little finer. I am quite sure I 

 have at least one such which is quite similar to parent in 

 vine, cluster and berry, with a more refined flavor. 



I have hybrids of Norton with Elvari, with Martha, 

 with Herbemont, with V. Lincecumii, with Concord and 

 others. Some prove quite good, others very small, astrin- 

 gent and poor. As a parent of hybrids, it does not do 

 nearly so well as my best post-oak grapes. The only 

 cross or hybrid known to me of Norton now in general 

 cultivation is the Hermann, which is evidently a hybrid 

 with the V. bicolor of the bluffs of the Missouri river, 

 near Hermann, Mo. The long, cylindrical, compact 

 cluster of very late, small berries, astringent and rich in 

 sugar, is characteristic of bicolor. Hermann is a very 

 fine wine grape. 



The Blue Grape, or Northern Summer Grape 

 (Vitis bicolor') has commonly been confounded with the 

 last, although it is very distinct. Of this I know of no 

 varieties except the Riesenblatt of Poeschel, Hermann, 

 Mo., in cultivation, but it possesses merits of hardiness 

 and productiveness, with purity of quality, though the 

 berry is small, that should make it a valuable element in 

 developing grapes for the north. Some wild hybrids of 

 this with V. riparia, which are of good quality, have 

 been noticed in 'Wisconsin. Dr. Hunger found one 

 such which has fruited with me and is of good quality to 

 hybridize upon with such varieties as 'Worden, Moore's 

 Diamond, Moore's Early, etc., to get earliness, size and 

 extreme hardiness for the far north-west. Brilliant, 

 upon this, will doubtless give fine grapes. 



Post-Oak Grape Family (f. Lincecuinii). — The typi- 

 cal V. Lincecumii oi Buckley is found chiefly in a belt 

 of country 50 to 100 miles wide, and some 2co or more 

 miles long, extending from about San Antonio, or a lit- 

 tle south of there, north-east toward Palestine, Texas, 

 and has much rusty wool on young wood and underside 

 of leaves, and no bluish bloom (glaucum) on mature an- 

 nual wood and under side of leaf, as the variety of it 

 in northern Texas and south-western Missouri and north- 

 ern Arkansas has. It is native on high, loamy, dry sandy 

 lands on which generally post-oak trees (Qnerciis stel- 

 lala) grows, hence the name post-oak grape. This spe- 



cies (or variety, as botanists may prefer) of the aesti- 

 valis series is one of the most valuable for improvement, 

 by selection and hybridization, for the dry, sandy lands 

 of the southwest. So far, the results in the careful 

 hands of H. Jaeger, as well as with me, have been very 

 remarkable. 



A grape to which I have given the name Hermann 

 Ja;ger, is shown in Fig. 3. It is a hybrid between 

 I'itis Lincecumii and V. Bourqiiiniana . The plant is 

 exceedingly vigorous and prolific. The berries are 

 black, with a bloom. The quality is excellent, and the 

 berries are of good size, often twice larger than shown 

 in the cut. These two species offer a promising field for 

 hybridizing ; and V. Lincecumii also intermingles to 

 great advantage with F. rttpes/ris, V. Labrusca, and 

 others. 



The following are some of the offspring of r. Lince- 

 cumii, which is still very new to cultivation. Texas 

 Raisin and Jack's Favorite are of the pure species. 

 They were found wild in Gonzales county, Texas, by J. H. 

 Lewis. They have fair quality. Early Purple, Lucky, 

 Wild Texan, Nimon and some others represent V. Lin- 

 cecumii, var. g/auca, and were found wild by myself in 

 northern Texas. Belonging to the same natural variety 

 are Neosho, Far West and several others, found in 

 southwestern Missouri by Mr. Jaeger. A number of 

 these are of really good eating quality, as well as very 

 fine wine grapes. They were collected from the woods 

 from among tens of thousands of vines, in many 

 years of hunting, as the best found. Both Mr. Jaeger 

 and the writer have hybridized upon the best of these 

 finds the best selections of some other species, and some 

 of the finer grapes in cultivation, thus producing a num- 

 ber of really fine grapes for cultivation. I name a few ; 



Jteger's No. 70 V. Lincecumii ■ rupestris. 



"72 " 



Both of these are superior, prolific wine grapes ; No. 

 72 is excellent for eating. 



Hermann Jieger. Purple, medium ) ,. , . , 



, ^ ,. ^ f V . Luicecumii Herbemont. 



berry, large cluster, medium to ;- 



I (Fig. 3.) 

 late \ ^ ^ 



Carman. Same blood as last ; bears at a very young age, and enor- 

 mously: medium berry, large cluster, vigorous. 



Perry. Purple, medium berry, large clus- ) V. Lincecumii No. 2 

 ter, exceedingly fine quality i ■ Herbemont. 



Professor Hilgard. Same parentage and description as H. Jaeger. 



Professor Bailey. Black, large,!,, ,. . 



V. Lincecumii • Triumph. 



medium season ) 



The Bailey is shown in Fig. 2. page 5S3. It is a va- 

 riety of great promise, particularly for wine. 



Nellie. Purple; very delicate, sweet and I „ , 

 . , Neosho ■ Herbemont. 



beautiful ) 



Husmann (Fig. 4) is another hybrid of V. lincecumii 

 by Triumph, possessing many good points. It is black, 

 smaller than Concord. 



There are something over 100 of these, my J'. Lince- 

 cumii hybrids of real merit, but space will not permit 

 mention of all. Most of them are superior wine grapes, 

 and so fine in habit of growth, productiveness, etc., that 

 they can well compete with the vinifera varieties. Some 

 are excellent table grapes. They are especially promis- 



