86 THE EVOLUTION OP OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



evolution of the immense commercial viticulture of 

 Eastern America, and all these species are native to the 

 country. They are the fox -grape (Vitis Labrusca) , the 

 summer -grape (Vitis cestivalis) , the Muscadine (Vitis 

 rotundifolia ) , and the river-bank grape (Vitis vulpina) . 

 Other native species have been concerned in the creation 

 of our viticulture, and still others promise much to the 

 future experimenter ; but enough has now been said 

 to acquaint my reader with some of the salient features 

 of the rise of our common varieties of grapes. I shall 

 add to the chapter a list of our native species of 

 grapes, with some remarks respecting their economic 

 importance, and to that list and the catalogue of 

 books, the student who desires to explore the subject 

 is referred. 



The grape -growing of eastern America has increased 

 enormously in recent years, largely under the stimulus 

 of the Concord. We have already had Rafinesque's 

 record of the vineyards of 1830 (page 49), and we have 

 had statistics of the acreage about Cincinnati (page 

 63) . In closing this part of our subject, we will find 

 it of interest to take a rapid sweep of the growth of 

 the industry. In 1852, Robert Buchanan made the 

 following survey of the vineyards "in the United 

 States" which were planted for wine -making purposes: 

 "The Ohio River is already called the 'Rhine of Amer- 

 ica,' and Cincinnati the center of the grape region in 

 this valley. Within twenty miles around the city, more 

 than 1,200 acres are planted in vineyards at Ripley 

 and Maysville above, about 100 acres at Vevay, 

 Charleston, and Louisville below, over 250 acres are in 

 vine culture; making 1,550 acres for the Ohio Valley 

 alone, which is a low estimate. 



