32 The Vines of North Carolina 



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Cape Fear region from South Carolina, according with the tra- 

 dition mentioned in Dr. Hawks's History. 



The Catawba Grape, as I am informed by Dr. Hunter, origi- 

 nated in Buncombe County on Cain Creek, an affluent of the 

 French Broad. His views on 'The Origin of the Catawba Grape" 

 were given last year (1859) in an article for the American 

 Farmer. 



3. Muscadine. (V. vulpina, Linn.) — Known also as Bullace, 

 Bull Grape, and Bullet Grape, and farther south as Fox Grape; 

 in Florida, as Mustang Grape. It extends northward as far as 

 Maryland and Kentucky, from whence southward it is one of the 

 most common vines. In this State it is found, in various soils, 

 from the coast to Cherokee, but most luxuriant in light soils of 

 the Lower District, covering the loftiest trees. The bark is pale 

 and smooth, that of the smaller branches dotted with minute 

 warts. The leaves are about 3 inches long, thin, smooth and 

 shining, coarse-toothed, and nearly round and heart-shaped. The 

 berries are in small bunches, larger and thicker skinned than any 

 of our other Grapes, varying in color from whitish through 

 different shades of red and purple to ebony black. The quality 

 of the fruit varies as much as its color, being now of a sharp acid 

 flavor, and again of luscious sweetness. 



The Scuppernong, now so famous as a Table and Wine Grape, 

 is a variety of this species. There are still found in the Lower 

 and Middle Districts, especially in the former, wild vines bearing 

 a whitish or amber berry, like the original Scuppernong, but of 

 various qualities, as in the case with the colored kinds. Some of 

 them are no better than the commonest Muscadines; and no one 

 is superior, if equal, to the well known cultivated variety. Some 

 of the dark Muscadines are very nearly as luscious as the 

 Scuppernong , and have been brought under culture, as the Mish 

 Grape, and Alexander's Grape, which are black, and also the 

 BulUs Eye, so named from its superior size. 



The Hickman Grape I take to be identical with the true Scup- 

 pernong and derived from Tyrrell County, the home of the 

 original. For some of this information, as well as for the fol- 

 lowing history of the Scuppernong (proper), I am indebted to 

 Rev. E. M. Forbes, who has resided in the region and has taken 

 much pains to obtain an authentic account of this vine. Two 

 men, of the name of Alexander, while clearing land near Colum- 

 bia, the county seat of Tyrrell, which stands on the east side of 

 Scuppernong River, discovered this Grape, and were so much 

 pleased with it that they preserved the vine and the tree upon 

 which it grew. "That was the vine which I saw," says Mr. 

 Forbes, "and from which other vines were propagated." They 



