Main Importations


grape. Growers interested in developing a wine industry in this
country had been hoping for years to find a grape that would grow
everywhere. But no European grapes hardy enough to withstand
the fluctuations of humidity and temperature in this country had
been found. If the foreign grapes were not grown in greenhouses,
they suffered from rot and blight. Native grapes flourished under
cultivation, but did not produce wines comparable to the
European vintages.
 Soon after the discovery of the Isabella, a Major Adlum living
 in the District of Columbia introduced the Catawba, supposedly
 a native of the Catawba River in North Carolina. He had found
 this variety growing in the vicinity of the Potomac. The famous
 Concord grape was a chance seedling developed by selection from
 a choice native grape. It was named after its discoverer, Ephraim
 W. Bull of Concord, Massachusetts. All of these varieties were
 extensively and successfully cultivated.
 The mild California climate lent itself to the development of
 European grapes during the nineteenth century. Although the
 Mission grape of the padres predominated for many years, the
 new introductions were almost exclusively European varieties.
 Colonel Agoston Haraszthy, the father of the California grape
 industry, introduced more Mediterranean grapes into California
 than any other individual. Given a commission in 1861 by the
 governor of California, he brought back 100,000 vines of 1,400
 varieties from Persia, Asia Minor, and Egypt.
 Attempts at Hybridization-The problem of producing wine
 in the eastern part of the country was approached in 1858 by the
 hybridization of American and European varieties. Expert wine-
 makers and chemists made tests to find suitable varieties. No
 significant results were achieved, but the cultivation of native
 grapes was rapidly extended in Virginia. Isaac Newton realized
 the importance of the grape as a fruit for general consumption,
 and in 1863 corresponded with growers all over the country seek-
 ing information about their results.
 The "celebrated Yeddo grape from Japan" was received in
 1864 from the American Resident-Minister, Robert H. Pruyn,
 who sent hundreds of grape cuttings to the United States. The
 Yeddo was propagated and plants sent to various localities to be
 tested for adaptability.
 The public developed a keener appreciation for quality grapes
 as new varieties made their appearance on the market. Native
grapes contained too much tartaric acid for wine and table use,