THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
359 
FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 
f HE book “Foundations of American Grape Culture” 
marks Mr. Munson as one of the foremost and most 
gifted nurseryman authors in the country. It is doubt¬ 
ful whether (in the horticultural line) another such 
exhaustive, accurate, well printed and well bound 
book has ever been gotten out by private enterprise. 
A few facts as to 
the fitness of Mr. 
Munson to deal with 
the subject may be 
gleaned from the pref¬ 
ace. From it we 
learn that he early 
developed a passion 
for experimentation 
and the securing of 
new varieties of 
grapes. Through 
many trials and dis¬ 
appointments, he car¬ 
ried on his work until 
1876 when he moved 
to Denison, Texas, 
from Nebraska. He 
bought and improved 
a rough piece of dark 
limestone, timbered 
land on the bluffs of 
the Red River. In 
the woods nearby grew 
innumerable wild 
grapevines while on 
the higher sandy lands 
covered with post-oak, 
black jack, hickory, 
scarlet oak and other 
timber grew many 
“Post Oak Grape” 
vines {V. Lincecumii) 
generally climbing the 
post-oak trees, hence 
the name of Post-Oak 
Grape. Along the 
ravines of the uplands 
and in the river bot¬ 
toms, were numerous 
vines of the “Mustang 
Grape (V. caudicans ), 
the “Sour Winter 
Grape” or “Frost 
Grape” (N. cordifolia) 
and “Sweet Winter 
Grape” (l/. cinerea). 
Directly along the 
high banks of the Red 
River ' were found 
vines of the “Sand” 
or “Bush Grape” (V. 
Songii)-, and occa¬ 
sionally vines of the 
“Riverside Grape” 
(V. vulpina or 
riparia.) Mr. Munson 
soon learned that in all the Southwest, especially the dry, hot 
parts of Texas, the northern varieties of Labrusca and its hybrids 
with Vinifera were subject to many diseases, short-lived and their 
fruit lasted only a short season in July. Right there in Texas, 
however, was a profusion of native grapes, perfectly suited to the 
soils and climate, little subject to disease. What was to hinder the 
selection,crossing and 
hybridizing with fine 
quality grapes? The 
many years spent by 
Mr. Munson in car¬ 
rying out the work 
suggested b y 
this question have 
resulted in his book. 
It is a long story to 
trace the develop¬ 
ment of Mr. Munson’s 
study of the grape. 
It suffices to say that 
the present book is a 
summation of all the 
work hitherto accom¬ 
plished by the author. 
The table of con¬ 
tents shows the wide 
range of information 
given: Botany of 
American Grapes; 
Breeding Varieties of 
Grapes; Description 
of Varieties; Adapta¬ 
tion of Varieties; How 
to Start a Vineyard; 
Protecting the Vine¬ 
yard from Insects and 
Fungi; Disposition of 
the Crop; The Grape 
for Home Adornment, 
Made, Fruit and 
Health. 
It would be impos¬ 
sible to describe fur¬ 
ther the book and its 
treatment of the sub¬ 
ject without writing a 
very lengthy and de¬ 
tailed review. Char¬ 
acterized as a whole, 
“Foundations of 
American Grape Cul¬ 
ture,” is complete, 
accurate and thor¬ 
ough. Nothing that 
has been done upon 
the subject can com¬ 
pare with it in these 
particulars. It is uni¬ 
que among horticul¬ 
tural publications and 
bears the stamp of 
careful, systematic, 
enlightened effort. 
J. S. G. 
R. W. MUNSON 
