BOURQUINIANA GRAPES 



LABRUSCA GRAPES 



231 



found on certain of the wild vines. The fruit 

 is characteristic because of its dense bloom, 

 firm, yet tender texture, and peculiar flavor. 

 The cultivated varieties have given satisfac- 

 tion in many sections of the central and 

 southern states. Like ^Estivalis, it is difficult 

 to propagate from cuttings. 



Vitis cestivalis Bourquiniana, Bailey. Southern JEsti- 

 valis. Bourquiniana differs chiefly from the type in 

 having thinner leaves ; the shoots and under side of 

 the leaves are only slightly reddish-brown in color ; 

 the pubescence usually disappears at maturity ; the 

 leaves are more deeply lobed than is common in 

 ..Estivalis ; and the fruit is larger, sweeter and more 

 juicy. Bourquiniana is known only in cultivation. It 

 includes many southern varieties, the most important 

 of which are Herbemont and Lenoir. The only northern 

 variety of any importance supposed to have Bourquin- 

 iana blood is Delaware. Bourquiniana can be propa- 

 gated from cuttings more easily than the typical JEsti- 

 valis. Many of the varieties of Bourquiniana show a 

 marked susceptibility to mildew and black-rot. The 

 roots are hard, branch rather freely, and are quite re- 

 sistant to phylloxera. 



8. Vitis bicolor, Le Conte. Blue Grape. Northern 

 Summer Grape. Northern ^Estivalis. Vine vigorous, 

 climbing ; shoots cylindrical or angled, with long in- 

 ternodes, generally glabrous, usually showing much blue 

 bloom, sometimes spiny at base ; diaphragms thick ; 

 tendrils intermittent, long, usually bind. Leaves with 

 short, broad stipules ; leaf-blade large ; roundish-cordate, 

 usually three ; petiolar sinus variable in depth, usually 

 narrow ; margin irregularly dentate ; teeth acuminate ; 

 glabrous above, usually glabrous below and showing 

 much blue bloom which sometimes disappears late in 

 the season ; young leaves sometimes pubescent ; petioles 

 very long. Cluster of medium size, compact, simple ; 

 peduncle long. Berries small, black with much bloom, 

 acid but pleasant tasting when ripe. Seeds small, 

 plump, broadly oval, very short beak ; chalaza oval, 

 raised, distinct ; raphe distinct. 



Bicolor is readily distinguished from 

 valis by the absence of the reddish pubescence 

 and by blooming later. The habitat of the 

 species is to the north of that of ^Estivalis, 

 occupying the northeastern quarter of the 

 United States. The horticultural characters 

 of Bicolor are much the same as those of Msti- 

 valis. About the only points of difference are 

 that it is much hardier, is less resistant to 

 mildew, and more resistant to phylloxera. 

 Like ^Estivalis, Bicolor does not thrive on 

 limy soils, and is difficult to propagate from 

 cuttings. The horticultural possibilities of 

 Bicolor are much the same as those of ^Esti- 

 valis. It is as yet cultivated but little. Its 

 chief defect for domestication is the small size 

 of the fruit. 



9. Vitis candicans, Englem. Mustang Grape. Vine 

 very vigorous, climbing ; shoots and petioles densely 

 woolly, whitish or rusty ; diaphragm thick ; tendrils 

 intermittent. Leaves with large stipules ; blade small, 

 broadly cordate to reniform-ovate, entire or in young 

 shoots and on young vines and sprouts usually deeply 

 three- to five-, or even seven-lobed ; teeth shallow, 

 sinuate ; petiolar sinus shallow, wide, sometimes lacking ; 

 dull, slightly rugose above, dense whitish pubescence 

 below. Clusters small. Berries medium to large, black, 

 purple, green, or even whitish, thin blue bloom or 

 bloomless. Seeds usually three or four, large, short, 

 plump, blunt, notched ; chalaza oval, depressed, indis- 

 tinct ; raphe a broad groove. 



The habitat of this grape extends from 

 southern Oklahoma southwesterly into Mex- 

 ico. It is found on dry, alluvial, sandy, or 

 limestone bottoms, or on limestone bluff lands. 



The species blooms shortly before Labrusca 

 and a week later than Vulpina. It requires 

 the long hot summers of its native country, 

 will stand extreme drouth, but is not hardy to 

 cold. The berries, which are large for wild 

 vines, have thin skins, under which there is a 

 pigment that gives them, when first ripe, a 

 fiery, pungent taste, but which partly disap- 

 pears with maturity; they are very persistent, 

 clinging to the pedicel long after ripe. Can- 

 dicans is difficult to propagate from cuttings. 

 Its roots resist phylloxera fairly well. It makes 

 a good stock for Vinifera vines in its native 

 country, but, owing to the difficulty of propa- 

 gation, is seldom used for that purpose. It is 

 not regarded as having great promise for horti- 

 culture. 



10. Vitis Labrusca, Linn. Fox-Grape. Vine vig- 

 orous, stocky, climbing ; shoots cylindrical, densely 

 pubescent ; diaphragms medium to thick ; tendrils con- 

 tinuous, strong, bifid or trifid. Leaves with long, 

 cordate stipule ; leaf-blade large, thick, broadly cordate 

 or round ; entire or three-lobed, frequently notched ; 

 sinuses rounded ; petiolar sinus variable in depth and 

 width, V-shaped ; margin with shallow, acute-pointed, 

 scalloped teeth ; upper surface covered with dense pubes- 

 ence, becoming glabrous when mature ; lower surface 

 covered with dense pubescence, more or less whitish 

 on young leaves ; becomes dun-colored when mature. 

 Clusters more or less compound, usually shouldered, 

 compact ; pedicels thick ; peduncle short. Berries 

 round ; skin thick, covered with bloom, with strong 

 musky or foxy aroma. Seeds two to four, large, dis- 

 tinctly notched, beak short ; chalaza oval in shape, 

 indistinct, showing as a depression ; raphe, a groove. 



Labrusca is indigenous to the eastern part 

 of North America, between the Atlantic Ocean 

 and the Alleghany Mountains, from Maine to 

 Georgia. It has furnished more cultivated va- 

 rieties than all other American species together. 

 The reason for this is, partly, that it is native 

 to the portion of the United States first settled, 

 and is the most common grape in the region 

 where agriculture first advanced to the condi- 

 tion at which fruits were desired; and, partly, 

 to the fact that, in its wild state, Labrusca is 

 probably the most attractive to the eye of all 

 American grapes, on account of the size of its 

 fruit. 



Two types of the species may be distin- 

 guished. Vines are found in the woods of 

 New England which resemble Concord very 

 closely in both vine and fruit, excepting that 

 the grapes are much smaller in size and more 

 seedy. There are also the large-fruited, foxy 

 Labruscas, usually with reddish berries, repre- 

 sented by such cultivated varieties as Northern 

 Muscadine, Dracut Amber, Lutie, and others. 

 Labrusca is peculiar amongst American grapes 

 in showing black-, white- and red-fruited forms 

 of wild vines growing in the woods. 



The root system of Labrusca does not pene- 

 trate the soil deeply, but the vine succeeds 

 better in deep and clayey soils than ^Estivalis. 

 It endures an excess of water in the soil, and, 

 on the other hand, requires less water for suc- 

 cessful growing than ^Estivalis or Vulpina. In 

 spite of its ability to withstand clayey soils, it 

 prefers loose, warm, well-drained sandy lands 

 to all others. All varieties of this species show 

 a marked antipathy to limestone soil. The 



