THE GRAPE-VINE FAMILY. 565 



N. American States, California, and other adjoining countries; 

 and some of these are also found in Asia. Dr Engelman 

 enumerates them as follows : 



1. Vitis rupestris, Scheele ; The Bush or Sand Grape . 



2. cordifolia, Michaux ; Winter or Frost Grape. 



riparia, ,, Riverside Grape. 



arizonica, Engelman ; Arizona Grape. 



californica, Bentham ; Californian Grape. 



(estivalis, Michaux; Summer Grape. 



candicans, Engelman ; Mustang or Texan Grape. 



labrusca, Linnaeus ; Northern Fox-grape. 



vulpina, ,, Southern Fox or Muscadine. 



This last-named species is also known as Vitis rotundifolia, 

 Michaux, and is strictly confined to the Southern States, 

 while hitherto it has withstood the ravages of the Phylloxera. 

 The Scupperong is the best -known cultural variety. The 

 " Isabella " grape, a noted American variety, is one of the 

 best of all the cultural forms of Vitis labrusca. Unfortunately 

 the hardness of the wood and different structure of the bark 

 renders this scathless species unfit for use as a stock for 

 more tender varieties of other species. American Grapes have 

 to Europeans a disagreeable musky or " foxy " flavour, and to 

 improve the flavour and at the same time retain the vigorous 

 constitution of the American Grapes, hybrids have been ob- 

 tained between V. labrusca and European varieties of V. 

 vinifera, as well as between V. vinifera and V. cordifolia ; and 

 it is interesting to note, in the case of these hybrid Vines (as in 

 hybrid Rhododendrons), that the more the hybrid or half- 

 breed assumes the aspect and characteristics of the tenderer 

 parent, the less is it suitable for the northern climate or, in 

 other words, what is gained in flavour is lost in constitutional 

 vigour. 



According to Dr Regel, the cultivated Grape- Vine (Vitis 

 vinifera} is not of pure specific descent, but is a hybrid between 

 V. labrusca and V. vulpina, both of which are natives of North 

 America, Japan and China, Manchouria, and the Himalayas. 

 M. Regel derives his conclusions from the following facts : " i. 

 The Grape-Vine is not known in a truly wild state, except as 

 an escape from cultivation ; 2. The species labrusca and vtil- 

 pina are truly wild in that district of Asia where the culture of 

 the Vine originated ; 3. The European Vine, introduced into 

 America, has never given such good results there as have the 

 varieties of V. labrusca and V. vidpina" 



Vines raised from seed are nearly as variable as Apples, 

 Plums, Pears, or other cultivated fruits, both black and white 



