FUNGI and FUNGICIDES.
The Evolution of American Grapes.—It should be noted, in conclusion, that the develop ment of American grape culture has been a process of evolution with a survival of the fittest. Thus, the improvement in the quality of our native grapes has been something re markable. It represents the difference between the wild grape—coarse, harsh and often dis agreeable in taste and smell — and the culti vated grape — tender, luscious and sweet and delicate in flavor.
The botanists have described and put Amer ican grape vines into some 12 or 13 groups or classes. Only four American species of vines have been cultivated and developed to any ex tent, as follows: (1) Vitis Labriisca; V. Estivalis; (3) V. Riparia; (4) V. Rppestrss.
The V. Labrusca is generally known as the "fox grape," and is a native of the Atlantic slope from New England to South Carolina. The largest number of varieties of grapes in all the Eastern States now cultivated spring from this species, which includes the Concord, the Catawba, etc.
The V. Estivalis is the "summer grape" of the Middle and Southern States. Several vari eties (such as the Lenoir or Jacquez, Herbe mont, Cunningham, etc.) have been much used in France and in California as a grafting stock.
The V. Riparia is the grape vine of the river banks, and is found growing wild from Canada to the lower Mississippi Valley. This species is very highly regarded in France and Cali fornia as a stock on which vinifera vines have been grafted with success.
The V. Rupestris is native of the country west of the Mississippi River from Missouri to Texas. The varieties of this species have not been much cultivated, but are used, almost ex clusively, as resistant stocks in France and in California.
Thus far, the efforts of our horticulturists to develop and improve many new varieties of American grapes have been confined to a few species. In 1830 William Prince enumerated but 88 varieties of native grapes; to-day there are more than 800 kinds. Already they have
accomplished splendid results by cultivation, and by hybridizing our vines with the best foreign kinds. We may look in the near future for the production of many choice grapes which will combine all the vigor, beauty of foliage and resistance to disease of the Labrusca and other American families with the delicate and fine qualities of the vinifera, or European varieties.
The most complete books on grape culture have been written by the French experts, but their writings do not ap American grape culture. Among the books on the subject in French we may name the following: Guyot's 'Etude des Vig nobles de France' (3 vols., Paris 1876); Foex's complet Viticulture' (Paris 1875), and Coste-Floret's 'Les Travaux du Via noble' (Paris 1898). The leading journal is the Revue de Viticulture, published at Paris.
The total United States production of grapes as reported in the last census for the year 1909 was 1,285,533 tons, of the value of $22, 027,961. This was one and a fourth times the production of 1899. California furnished over three-fourths, New York 10 per cent and Mich igan 5Y2 per cent. About three-fourths of these grapes went into wine and raisins. The total wine and grape juice product in 1909 was 18, 636,000 gallons, of which California made some 16,000,000 gallons. The most complete account of our native wines is found in the reports and bulletins of the Department of Agriculture. See also Wickson, E. J., 'California Fruits' ; Hyatt, 'Grape Culture and Handbook for Cali fornia' ; Hedrick, 'Grapes of New York' (1907) ; Munson, Foundations of American Grape Culture' 4909), and the reports of the Board of State Viticultural Commissioners of California. See VITICULTURE; WINE-MAKING.