223 
occurs only on plums, pruues and apricots. Gapnodium armeniacce is 
described solely from mycelium and gonidia. Phyllosticta circumcissa 
and Clasterosporium amygdalearum make u shot holes” in the leaves. 
Both are serious evils, the Phyllosticta being specially prevalent in the 
orchards of South Australia. The use of the term perithecia for recep- 
tacles containing only gonidia is not to be commended.— Erwin F. 
Smith. 
Viala, Pierre. Une Mission Viticole en Amerique. Published at 
Montpellier, No. 5 Grand Street, by C. Coulet, and at Paris, No. 
120 Boulevard St. Germain, by G. Masson. 18S9. 
This work (387 pages), illustrated by eight chromo lithographs and 
a geologic map of the United States, contains the observations upon 
American grape-vines and their maladies, made by Professor Viala 
during a tour through the United States in 1887. By the French Gov¬ 
ernment Professor Viala was commissioned to inspect the grape-vines, 
native of America, which might be found growing in marly or calcare¬ 
ous soils, with the view of finding a species of vine adaptable to culture 
on similar soils in France. In the preface to his book Professor Viala 
states that it “ is not a report of his work upon this viticultural mis¬ 
sion, but rather a study, complete as possible, of all the questions rela¬ 
tive to American grape-vines and to the maladies of the vine in the 
country of their origin.” With such a scope, the studies of this distin¬ 
guished botanist will be of important interest to botanists and viticult¬ 
urists of America as of Europe. In his extended tour throughout the 
United States Professor Viala was aided by our Government, and 
accompanied officially by Prof. F. Lamson Scribner, then Chief of the 
Section of Vegetable Pathology, United States Department of Agri¬ 
culture, and now of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Knoxville, 
Teun. According to Viala, there are of American vines eighteen 
known species. In the other parts of the earth there are but twelve; 
one species in Europe ; the others in Asict. Vitis vinifera is indigenous 
to Europe. Of our native vines, those of interest to French viticulture, 
either as fruit-bearers or as graft-bearers, for the viniferas, are Vitis 
Berlandieri , V. cor difolia, V. rupestyis , V. riparia , and sundry varie¬ 
ties of these species. 
Of our long list of cultivated varieties but few find favor with Viala, 
being generally stigmatized as u foxy I This, however, is a matter of 
. national taste. Wines which Frenchmen condemn are approved by 
Americans and Germans; while Frenchmen long resident with us 
learn by habitude to prefer the high-flavored American wines. The 
day may come when the “peculiar” flavor of the Labrusca and of the 
Riparia may be esteemed as a commendation. u De gustibus non dispu- 
tandum .” 
Part second of Viala’s volume is devoted to an exhaustive study of 
“ the maladies of the vine in America”—black rot, white rot, bitter rot, 
