Grape Varieties 
E. L. Lord, College of Agriculture, Gainesville 
The subject of grape varieties for Flor¬ 
ida conditions is an important one, as the 
history of American viticulture has been 
dotted with failures because of the lack 
of proper appreciation of this vital point. 
With the single exception of California, 
it has been impossible to develop a com¬ 
mercial grape industry in any part of 
North America, without using the blood 
of species that are native to the region. 
Florida is no exception, and in order to 
establish a flourishing grape industry in 
this State it will be necessary to use the 
native grapes freely in breeding. We are 
fortunate that we have such a wealth of 
species from which to choose, for Florida 
has within her boundaries at least eight 
wild species of grapes, or one-fourth of all 
grape species native to North Florida. Of 
these native species, only two have been 
used to any extent, the Muscadine or ro- 
tundifolia grape and the aestivalis or sum¬ 
mer grape. 
It is unnecessary for me to discuss at 
length the Muscadine grape, as Mr. Dear- 
ing has already pointed out to you its 
value. While it is the most vigorous and 
disease resistant of North American 
grapes, it is also the hardest to ameliorate. 
Mr. Dearing’s achievement with this 
grape is without contradiction the most 
notable work in grape breeding within a 
127 
generation. Unfortunately no commer¬ 
cial table grape has yet been produced 
from this species, and its season when 
grown for domestic use is comparatively 
short. 
Before I discuss the aestivalis or sum¬ 
mer grape I should like to recall to you 
some facts from the history of grape 
growing in Eastern North America. 
When the earlier settlers came to North 
America their first interest was to dupli¬ 
cate the wine industry, and they had no 
doubt that it was possible, for were there 
not wild grapes everywhere? But all of 
the European grapes planted died of phyl¬ 
loxera and mildew, and only by planting 
wildings of the native fox grape or labrus- 
ca, were they able to grow grapes in the 
North. 
Early in the last century, E. S.~ Rogers, 
of Salem, Mass., the pioneer grape 
breeder of North America, hybridized the 
fox grape with the European grape in or¬ 
der to obtain the fruit of the wine grape 
on the disease resistant vine of the native 
grape. While he produced many hybrids, 
none of them have become commercially 
valuable; probably because first genera¬ 
tion crosses do not appear to blend these 
characters sufficiently. Commercial vine¬ 
yards in the North are confined almost 
entirely to four varieties : Catawba, Con- 
