Breeding Botundifolia Grapes 
43 
old from the seed, and the fruits were tested during tlie season only. 
ISTevertheless it shows the variability that may be expected in a group 
of seedlings that are the offspring of carefully selected mother vines. 
While such varieties as Scuppernong, James, and Thomas are of good 
to excellent quality, it will be observed that their offspring group them¬ 
selves principally in the column of fair quality. This undoubtedly is 
the result of the unknown parentage of the mother vines, and more 
specifically of the unknown qualities of the parent male vines. For 
although these produce no fruits and therefore cannot exhibit their 
inherent qualities, they are able to transmit any of the qualities that 
either of their parents possessed. 
It will furthermore he observed, that out of a total of 638 bearing 
vines, only eight of exceptional quality were secured, or a ratio of about 
one to eighty. When we are able to select both parent vines that 
possess exceptionally good qualities, we will be able to increase this 
ratio considerably; for by proper selection we can intensify these good 
qualities. 
Clinging Quality of the Berries. 
A detailed study has been made of the clinging quality of the hybrids 
that were produced from Scuppernong, James, and Thomas. We were 
able to make only two classes: Those that ranked as very poor, and 
those that ranked as poor. 
Fig. 18.—Shattered cluster of Scuppernong (natural size). 
Those fruits that ranked as very poor dropped when ripe at the very 
touch of the hand, while those that were classed as poor were slightly 
more tenacious, clinging somewhat better than the Scuppernong (See 
Fig. 18). It is true that in this latter class bunches of grapes were fre- 
