12 AMEEICAN GRAPE GROWIKG 



botanical name of the grape genus), from which they are 

 known to be, or supposed to be, derived, and the name 

 of the species is given to the class. Thus, when a variety 

 is spoken of as "belonging to the (Bstivalis class," it is 

 to be understood, that it descended from, or is derived 

 from, the native species of grape called by botanists, Vitis 

 cesfivaUs. So, when in speaking of a variety we, for the 

 sake of brevity, say "it is an cBstivalis/' it is equivalent 

 to saying that it belongs to the class of varieties derived 

 from the species of that name. 



All of the European grapes are regarded as having their 

 origin in Vitis vinifera of the old world, a species which, 

 though it has been cultivated from the earliest recorded 

 time, is nowhere known in the wild state. The varieties 

 of this, while generally unsuccessful east of the Eocky 

 Mountains, succeed admirably in the climate of the Pacific 

 Coast, and, until very recently, have been cultivated there 

 to the exclusion of all others. It is of interest to our 

 grape-growers principally on account of the hybrids 

 which have been produced between it and our own na- 

 tive grapes. The varieties of the European grape differ 

 from ours in their leaves, which are " smoothish," and, 

 when young, shining ; they are more or less deeply 

 5 to 7-lobed, the lobes pointed and sharply toothed ; the 

 flesh of the berry adheres to the skin, while the seeds 

 have a narrow and usually proportionately longer beak 

 than in any of the native varieties. 



There are throughout North America, eight or nine 

 species admitted by botanists as distinct, four only of 

 which have yielded varieties of cultivation ; these are : 



1. Vitis Labrusca, The Northern Eox Grape. 



2. Vitis mstivalis, The Summer Grape. 



3. Vitis cordifolia, or ) The Winter or Frost Grape, or 



V. riparia, ) The Riverside Grape. 



4. Vitis vidpina, The Southern Fox Grape. 



