14 



THE SCUFPERNONG GRAPE. 



BY J. L. MOULTRIE, UNION SPRINGS, ALABAMA. 



In looking over some back numbers of the Gar- 

 deners Monthhj, I find in the December number for 

 1861, some account of the Scuppernong by Mr. J. 

 Thomas, which I think is calculated to mislead 

 those unacquainted with this valuable Grrape. Mr. 

 T. says the berries are more oblong than those of 

 the Isabella, and that " they are more strong, of 

 peculiar musky flavor than any Fox Grrape" he 

 ever tasted, and consequently unfit for the table. 

 Indeed, he seems to regard it as no better than the 

 Wild Muscadine, of which it is a variety. Having 

 been familiar with this Grape, in many localities 

 for the last thirty years, I must think Mr. T. has 

 been unfortunate in the specimens he has seen, and 

 that they were seedlings. 



In wood and leaf the two vines have a striking 

 resemblance. The wood is very closed grained and 

 heavy, does not strike from cuttings, but is propa- 

 gated by layering. Could probably be rooted in a 

 propagating box with bottom heat. The leaf is 

 not more than three inches in diameter, serrated but 

 not lobed, and is slightly glazed on both sides. 

 The tendrils of the Muscadine are purple, those of 

 the Scuppernong are light or pea green. The 

 berries of both are rounds and grow from two to 

 twelve, or fourteen in a bunch. I have known one 

 vine to have twenty-five in a bunch. When ripe, 

 the Muscadine is a dark purple, nearly black ; the 

 Scuppernong is what is usually called a white Grape, 

 being between a green and a lead color, sometimes 

 they are tinged with pink. The Scuppernong will 

 yield four gallons of juice to the bushel of berries ; 

 those of the Muscadine not more than two. 



My S. have less pulp than the Catawba Grape. 

 It has a slight musk flavor, but not more than the 

 Isabella Grape, and nine persons out of ten prefer 

 it 10 either the Catawba or Isabella as a table 

 Grape. It has but little tartaric acid, and in sac- 

 charine matter is equal to the Catawba ; the juice of 

 both, when ripe, stand at 10° of Baume's hydro- 

 meter for syrups, while that of the Muscadine never 

 reaches 6° of the same instrument unless so ripe as 

 to be shrivelled. 



As a wine Grape, Mr. Spooner in his work on the 

 Grape-vine, page 63, quoting from the New York 

 Farmer mid Mechuiic, represents Dr. Underbill as 

 saying, " Several years ago the wine of the Scup- 

 pernong Grape was put on the table in this city 

 with wines from Shiroz in Persia, Constantinople, 

 Italy, France and other places. It was thought 

 better far than the famous Persian wine, and better 

 than most any of the varieties tried. A barrel of 



Scuppernong was lately put upon the lees of 

 Madeira, and a few months after, drawn off", and 

 pronounced excellent old Madeira, by good judges. " 



Mr. Meigs said, "I have at the soirees of my 

 learned and amiable friend, the late Dr. Mitchell, 

 tasted of Scuppernong wine, of wine of the Islands 

 of Chios, Tenedos, of those of Syria, Greece, Con- 

 stantinople, and some which I had from Shiroz in 

 Persia, and the opinion then was, that there was 

 no great superiority in any of them over the Scup- 

 pernong. " 



In the Southern Cultivator^ for April, 1866, Mr. 

 J. Van Buren says, "The Scuppernong is superior 

 to all other Grapes for making Champaigne wine." 

 He also considers it superior to all others os a table 

 Grape. A great recommendation of the Scupper- 

 nong is that it never rots. 



Mr. Spooner quotes Dr, Underbill as saying 

 " that the vines at the north were all pistillate 

 plants, and they could not cultivate for want of the 

 male plants. ' ' This is a rare case. Occasionally the 

 seedlings are not fruitful, but all the cultivated 

 vines with us have perfect blooms, and as we never 

 intentionally propagate except from layers of bear- 

 ing vines, it is only when we accidentally get a 

 seedling among the layers, that we get an imperfect 

 bloom. I know of but one such vine in cultivation. 

 The gentleman who owns it planted a bearing vine 

 by its side, and it became the most productive vine 

 that I know of Mr. Foster, the proprietor, assures 

 me that it frequently has as many as twenty-five 

 berries in a bunch. 



In cultivating, plant the vines shallow and about 

 thirty feet apart. Trim to a single stem until six 

 or seven feet high ; spread out the branches as regu- 

 larly over the scaff'old as convenient. It will not 

 bear close pruning, but occasionally will need a 

 little thinning to give it sufficient air. This is done 

 by cutting off" some of the leading branches near the 

 main stem. Do not attempt to take out these 

 branches but allow them to remain until they rot 

 out. If the vines run farther than you wish, it 

 does no injury to shorten them in. All pruning of 

 the vine must be done in the lall as soon as the 

 leaves turn a little yellow. 



The objection to the Scuppernong is, that the 

 Grapes do not ripen all at once, and have to be 

 picked singly, at diff'erent times, which is trouble- 

 some. This is indeed an objection, but it pays. 

 And since the vine requires neither trimming nor 

 dressing, (only giving a scaff'old to run on), and 

 very little if any work after it is of good size, we 

 can aff"ord to take a httlc trouble at the time of 

 vintage. 



