GRAPE VARIETIES 323 



European grapes as we know them to-day in 

 the vineyards of southern and central Europe 

 and in California. These grapes all belong to 

 one species (Vitis vinifera) and differ from the 

 grapes of eastern America in one outstanding 

 character — the skin adheres firmly to the 

 pulp. In all varieties that are derived from 

 our native wild grapes, the skin slips from the 

 pulp when the berry is crushed. 



I have emphasized the fact that the majority 

 of our orchard fruits have been introduced 

 from abroad. In this list occurred our apples, 

 peaches, cherries and to a certain extent our 

 plums. The eastern American grapes, how- 

 ever, present a striking contrast to this condi- 

 tion of affairs, for almost without exception 

 every important variety of grape grown at 

 present has been derived from our native vines 

 — and this within the space of a comparatively 

 few years. For several hundred years after 

 the discovery of this continent by Columbus, 

 efforts were made to grow only the European 

 sorts and the history of these attempts reads 

 like a romance. Indeed it is a romance, a horti- 

 cultural romance, dramatic at times and at 

 others touched with tragedy because the early 

 growers in spite of their abiding faith in the 

 new industry were foredoomed to failure. 



Probably the Spanish were the first to bring 

 European varieties to our shores and of all 



