H.—s.
and plant out on experimental grounds in at least three different districts : say Whangarei, Napier or Gisborne, and Wanganui. It would, perhaps, be advisable, in the first place, to plant them all at Whangarei" in quarantine," and, as soon as they were found free from disease, to send collections to the other districts, to be placed in charge of practical men who would acquaint themselves with the particular kind of culture required by the American vine. It is just possible that there are nurserymen in the colony who may claim to have all the varieties of the American vine, and might urge that there is no necessity for Government sending to America. If the Government decide upon testing the adaptability of these vines to our climate, I. would most strongly impress upon Government the importance and necessity of obtaining vines true to name direct from America, and having the matter settled in such a way as would leave no doubt whatever in the minds of the riublic that it had been given a perfectly fair trial. lam led to make these remarks because it is asserted in Auckland that a number of American varieties of the vine were introduced here some years ago, and gave very unsatisfactory results. The history of those vines would fully account for their failure. They came from Victoria to Auckland ; and what guarantee was there of their having been true to name ? As a matter of fact, it is well known that, some years ago, so great was the demand made upon the American nurserymen for cuttings of the improved varieties of the Phylloxera-proof vine that they could not fill the orders, and some of them were dishonest enough to go into the bush and get cuttings of the wild vine and ship them to France, and perhaps Victoria too. I have no authentic information for saying such was the case with the Australian shipments, but it is reasonable to suppose that Australia would fare no better than France in that respect, and there is every reason to doubt the pedigrees of the vines that are now offered in this colony as American, and which originally came from Victoria ; for it is well to bear in mind that even in America hundreds of varieties have failed to give good results, and have been condemned as worthless. It has also been asserted here in Auckland that, although the American vine will grow luxuriantly, it will not fruit, and it is stated that a nurseryman has had these vines growing for six or seven years, but never got them to fruit. If such is the case, it would go to prove that the vines are from the stock of the wild vine, and have never been fertilised in all probability. Munson draws particular attention to this characteristic of American pure species. He says, — " So far as observed in thousands of bearing vines of the pure species, the riparia, rupestris, cordifolia, cinerea, cestivalis, and candicans always have reflexed stamens, and, if standing at a distance from vines having erect stamens, will not set much fruit, yet will bear abundantly if varieties with erect stamens, blooming at the same time, stand near. They are practically pistillate, like Crescent strawberry, and need fertilisers. These they naturally have, as over half the wild vines are purely staminate or male, bearing superabundantly of pollen, but never a berry. Flower of Bearing Vino with Flower of Bearing Vino with Flower of Male or Eeflectod Stamens, Erect Stamens, like Pollen-bearing like Sogers 9. . Concord. Vine. (Lindley..
Non-fertilising.
Self-fertilising.
Non-bearing.
"Lindley and most all varieties with reflexed stamens, if planted alone in vineyard, are almost fruitless, but planted among Lady, Martha, Concord, or many others, quickly selected by the use of the table, having erect stamens and blooming at same time with Lindley, or still better, if you can get such, male plants blooming at same time, and the reflexed-stamened varieties bear heavily. " This important principle cannot be too strongly emphasized. The lack of cross-fertilisation is the cause of much loss to fruit-growers. The varieties to be cross-fertilised must bloom with the same period, and better to have the variety to be fertilised to begin blooming a day after the one which is to furnish pollen. A grape-vine remains in bloom from three to eight days, and each flower must be fertilised the first or, at farthest, the second day after it opens. In the wild state the male vines begin blooming a day or two before the bearing vines. This and the fact that over half of all wild vines are males, gives us a hint which we cannot neglect without loss in crop or the experimenter without iinparing the longevity of his varieties and breeds. Even the bearing vines with erect stamens do better if some properly-selected males be planted in the vineyard. I know of but one vineyard planted upon this principle, and that is a new one, by H. Jaeger, of Missouri. We hope in a few years to learn the results. To further illustrate this principle and the healthful influence on the seedlings, let us take a few examples. " One of my seedlings having reflexed stamens had two clusters with part of the flowers just ready to cast the caps (bloom), when I lifted the caps and applied pollen from Berckman's (an erect-stamened kind), and then enclosed the clusters in thin muslin sacks, with part of the flowers yet to bloom. These bloomed the next day or two, but, instead of setting fruit, every one soon withered and fell away, while those fertilised with pollen from Berckman's set and matured fruit. " Concord, Clinton, Triumph, Norton, Herbemont, and all other erect-stamened varieties, from which I have grown seedlings, make feeble plants when pure-bloods—that is, self-fertilised—in comparison with crosses or hybrids with other varieties and species. " Indeed, it seems a pretty well established fact that if a variety's own pollen, even if it has erect stamens, and that of another erect-stamened variety, especially so if from a male vine, be
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