GRAPE BOTANY 315 



Vulpina is the most widely distributed of any American species 

 of grape. It has been discovered in parts of Canada north of 

 Quebec and from thence southward to the Gulf of Mexico. It 

 is found from the Atlantic coast westward, most botanists say, 

 to the Rocky Mountains. Usually it grows on river banks, on 

 islands or in upland ravines. Vulpina has always been con- 

 sidered of great promise in the evolution of American grapes. 

 It can hardly be said that it has fulfilled expectations, there 

 probably being no pure variety of this species of more than local 

 importance, and the results of hybridizing it with other species 

 have not been wholly successful. Attention was early turned 

 to Vulpina because of the qualities presented by the vine 

 rather than those of the fruit, particularly its hardiness and 

 vigor. However, both of these qualities are rather variable, 

 although it is only reasonable to suppose that in such a widely 

 distributed species, plants found in a certain region would have 

 adapted themselves to the conditions there present; thus, it 

 should be expected that the northern plants would be more 

 hardy than those from the South, and that the western prairie 

 forms would be more capable of resisting drouth than those 

 from humid regions. It is, consequently, impossible to say what 

 conditions best suit this species. It may be said, however, that 

 Vulpina is adapted to a great variety of soils and locations; 

 vines have withstood a temperature of 40 to 60 degrees below 

 zero and they show equal ability in withstanding the injurious 

 effects of high temperatures in the summer. On account of its 

 habit of early blooming, the blossoms^ sometimes suffer from 

 late frosts in the spring. 



While Vulpina is not a swamp grape and is not found grow- 

 ing under swampy conditions, it is fond of water. In the semi- 

 arid regions always, and in humid regions usually, it is found 

 growing along the banks of streams, in ravines, on the islands 

 of rivers and in wet places. It is not nearly so capable of with- 

 standing drouth as Rupestris. Vulpina likes a rather rich soil, 



