In 1898, he received a six-month grant from the German government to travel to the United States and study American grape species, known to be resistant to the grape phylloxera that were threatening to infest German vineyards and destroy the wine industry.
In 1898, he was assigned by the "Deutsche Gärtner-Zeitung" to travel to the United States and study woody plants and orchards. The German government also asked him research American grape species, known to be resistant to the grape phylloxera that were threatening to infest German vineyards and destroy the wine industry.