THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 139 



increase in thickness southward and that the pubescence diminishes in 

 quantity and becomes stiffer on dry, poor soils. 



Aestivahs was probably described by some of the botanists before 

 Michaux's day but, if so, none of the descriptions is sufficiently definite 

 and comprehensive to be recognized with certainty. Michaux was the 

 first to describe it under the name of Aestivalis. It seems to have been 

 generally known, as Bartram described it a short time later under the name 

 of Vitis sylvestris with Vitis occidentalis as a synonym. He says: " This 

 is the most common grape." Owing to the great variation in the different 

 forms of the species as it was then understood, many of the later botanists 

 gave descriptions of it which did not agree. This uncertainty and the 

 difficulty of giving a description which would fit all of the forms has been 

 relieved in a measure; first, by the new species which have been created, 

 such as Bicolor, Monticola and Cinerea, from what would have once 

 been regarded as Aestivalis; and second, by the description and gen- 

 eral acceptance of well-known varietal forms, such as Lincecumii and 

 Bourquiniana. 



The division of the original species has also reduced the habitat 

 materially, confining it to the southeastern portion of the United States 

 from southern New York to Florida and westward to the Mississippi River. 

 Aestivalis grows in thickets and openings in the woods and shows no such 

 fondness for streams as Riparia or for thick timber as Labrusca, but is 

 generally confined to uplands. Under favorable circumstances the vines 

 grow to be very large. 



Aestivalis is preeminently a wine grape. The fruit usually has a tart, 

 acrid taste, due to the presence of a high percentage of acid, but tliere is 

 also a large amount of sugar, the scale showing that juice from this species 

 has a much higher percentage of sugar than the sweeter tasting Labruscas. 

 The wine made from varieties of Aestivalis is very rich in coloring matter, 

 and is used by some European vintners to mix with the must of European 

 sorts in order to give the combined product a higher color. The berries 

 are destitute of pulp, have a comparatively thin, tough skin, and a peculiar 

 spicy flavor. The berries hang to the bunch after becoming ripe much 

 better than do those of Labrusca. 



The species thrives in a lighter and shallower soil than Labrusca and 



