Il8 AGRICULTURE. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE VINEYARD. 



THE VINE FAMILY. The Virginia Creeper and the different 

 varieties of the grape vine together form what is known as the 

 vine family (vitacece). These are woody plants climbing by 

 tendrils. The leaves are set one after another (alternate). 

 The flowers are small, greenish, in a cluster or bunch. The 

 tendrils and flowers are opposite the leaves. The Virginia 

 creeper has its leaflets in fives, and is thereby distinguished 

 from poison ivy, which has its leaflets in threes. A bunch of 

 blossoms like that of the Virginia creeper is called a cyme, 

 that like the grape is called a thyrsus. Notice the form of the 

 tendrils of the V. creeper and how they attach themselves to 

 wires and flat surfaces. Are those of the grape similar? 



VARIETIES OF GRAPES. The grapes grown under glass or 

 in hot-houses in this country are quite different from those 

 grown out of doors. They are of different flavor, and the 

 former are thinner in the skin. Our hot-house grapes are 

 European varieties. In the woods we find several varieties of 

 grapes growing wild, with long climbing branches, bearing 

 bunches of small fruit quite sour or acid. The principal wild 

 varieties are known as the Northern Fox, the Summer grape, 

 the white or Frost grape, and the Muscadine or Southern 

 Fox. Our out-of-door cultivated varieties have been got 

 by selections from these wild varieties, also by crossing 

 them with the European, and by chance seedlings from all 

 varieties. Most of our edible grapes have been got from 

 crosses on the Northern Fox, and most of our wine grapes 

 from crosses on the Frost grape. 



