CHAPTER I 

 INTRODUCTION -- GRAPES OF AMERICA 



From the dawn of history the grape has been regarded as the 

 king of fruits. When Moses sent spies into the promised land, ( x )* 

 as the most convincing evidence of its desirability, they 

 brought back a giant cluster of grapes from Eschol. When Ruth 

 gleaned in the field of Boa/, at noontide she was invited to dip 

 her morsel in the "vinegar," a sweet marmalade made from the 

 grape, ( 2 ) and among other things Abigail brought raisins to David 

 to appease his wrath after his insult by Nabal. ( 3 ) 



The Roman historian Tacitus states that the climate of 

 Ormany was cold and damp. In his day it would not produce 

 the vine, and without doubt this was one of the chief reasons it 

 escaped Roman dominion. ( 4 ) 



Even the Vikings judged the value of a land by its ability 

 to grow the vine, for in the Saga of Leif the Fortunate, we read 

 that when he discovered a new land to the Westward (America), 

 finding wild grapes, he gathered enough to load the stern of his 

 vessel, and he named, the country "Vineland." ( 5 ) 



Grapes are found growing wild in most of Asia and Europe, 

 though only a single species, Vitis vinifera, has ever been cul- 

 tivated in those regions of either continent that have played an 

 important part in history. In China and Japan, however, there 

 are a few inferior wild grapes that do not belong to this 

 species. Hundreds of varieties of this species have been 

 developed, but they all agree in having a sweet firm flesh that 

 does not part from the thin, tender skin; and in the soft, succulent 

 roots that distinguish them from all other grapes. ( 6 ) 



Until less than two centuries ago all cultivated grapes 

 were of this species, so it is not surprising that it possesses many 

 superior qualities rot the lea ; t of wh'ch are its excellent table 

 qualitie* and its ability to produce raisins. 



In all the world some fifty or sixty species of grapes are known, 

 depending upon classification, more than half of which are native 

 to the United States. ( 7 ) 



However, hardly a doyen species have ever been extensively cul- 

 tivated, all but two of which are native American grapes and the 

 eleventh, V. Bourquiniana, is doubtless an American hybrid. ( 8 ) 



Six of these cultivated species are native to the South. 



The State of Tennessee and the western part of North Carolina 

 seem to be the geographical center of the grape world, containing 

 more wild species than any other district of the world, with the pos- 

 sible exception of the region of the Brazos river in Texas. 



* The figures in the text refer to authorities appearing in the Bibliography bering the 

 key number. 



