308 THE DRAPERY OF VINES 



course, throwing its lovely draperies equally over 

 rocks, trees, or crumbling ruins as if to shield them 

 from public gaze during their downward way. 



In spite of the fact that on this bank, at least, 

 it has often been uprooted, Poison Ivy still strug- 

 gles up a stone heap, endeavoring to display its 

 gorgeous colors with the other climbers, showing 

 that this vine of fatal touch has at least the two 

 good attributes that the charitable old lady accorded 

 the devil, perseverance and good taste in reds. 



The other Wild Grapes that hold such an im- 

 portant place in the landscape are the Sweet- 

 scented Riverside, and Frost varieties. 



The Riverside Grape is the vine whose shining, 

 deeply-lobed leaves make green walls of the bushes 

 along streams, the blossoms filling the air with 

 musky perfume in early Summer, and the fruit with 

 spice from July until the last cluster has disap- 

 peared in middle Autumn. The Frost, Chicken, 

 or 'Possum Grape, with leaves of both the Poplar 

 and Maple type, is most conspicuous in Autumn 

 when others have lost their fruits, from its thickly 

 clustering bunches of small black berries, covered 

 with bloom, and more nearly resembling an irregular 

 bunch of Bird Cherries than the yield of any of its 

 Grape kindred. 



