128 THE GRAPES OF XEW YORK. 



to determine. Pursh gives the northern limit as Canada, and Buckley 

 speaks of its being found at Lake Winnipeg, but all other, and some prob- 

 ably better informed, authorities give the northern limit as New York or 

 the Great Lakes. The eastern limit is the Atlantic Ocean and the southern 

 limit the Gulf of Mexico. It extends westward, according to Engelmann. 

 to the western limits of the wooded portion of the Mississippi Valley in 

 the North, and, according to Munson, to the Brazos River, Texas, in the 

 South. It is found along creeks and river banks sometimes mixed with 

 Riparia, having about the same soil adaptations as that species. It is a 

 very common species in the Middle States and is frequenth' found growing 

 on limestone soils but, according to Viala, is not indigenous to such soils. 



It might be said that this species was first described by Linnaeus in 

 1753 under the name Vulpina, as his description was from mixed speci- 

 mens of Cordifolia and Riparia. The first description, however, of which 

 there is no question is that of Michaux in 1803. From this time on there 

 are many descriptions under various names and much disagreement as 

 to the limits of the species and its relation to Riparia. Engelmann in 

 1872 states that Riparia is generally a smaller plant than Cordifolia 

 and that the fruit ripens earlier and is pleasanter tasting. It was still 

 considered bv many botanists that these differences were too slight to 

 separate the forms as different species, but in 1883, Engelmann further 

 enumerated other differences which are given under the description of 

 Vitis riparia. Since this time, the specific difference of the two forms has 

 never been questioned. 



Cordifolia makes a good stock for grafting, being vigorous and forming 

 a good union with most of our cultivated grapes. It is seldom used for this 

 purpose, however, on account of the difficulty of propagating it by means 

 of cuttings. For the same reason vines of it are seldom found in cultivation. 

 It is probably of no importance horticulturally. 



VITIS CORDIFOLIA FCETIDA Engelm. 



I. Engelmann, Am. Xat., 2:3^1. iSoS. V. cordifolia. var. fcetid.\. 2. lb., Mo. Ent. Rpt., 

 1872:00. 3. Bailey, Gray's Syn. FL. 1:424. iSq?. V. cordifoli.\, var. fobtid.v. 



Apparently the first record of Vitis cordifolia foctida is Engelmann's 

 mention of it in the American Naturalist of 1868. In 1872 he speaks as 



