156 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
THE BULLACE, OR BULL GRAPE, {VUis rohindlfoUa) 
Also erroneously called by some. Fox. This most hardy 
plant grows everywhere in this State; in the poorest 
land or on the richest; in the swamps of the low-country 
and on the tops of the high sandy hills of the up-country. 
Everywhere it thrives and bears an abundance of fruit, 
much sought after by hogs, turkeys, opossums and chil- 
dren; in the fall of the year it is a perfect manna for 
them. 
The wood of the Bullace is v/hitish, slender, although 
the main stem will acquire a considerable size; flexible 
and strong, often used by negroes for tying. It has no 
pith as in other vines, which fact renders it very difficult 
to grow from cuttings. It throws out innumerable small 
branches on which grows the fruit; the cyes'or buds are 
very small, covered with a scale and reddish down. The 
leaves are very small, heart shaped and dented, {roiundi- 
folia, evidently a misnomer) glabrous, and very different 
in appearance from any other. 
There are many varieties of this specie?, hut with the 
exception of the Seuppernong, they only differ from each 
other in the size and flavor of the fruit, this being a little 
larger or a linle sweeter in some vines than in others; the 
wood and leaves remaining the same. 
Fruit round, from a half inch to over an inch in diame- 
ter, brown black and shining before maturity, but of a dull 
black when fully ripe ; tough, with small dots upon it; 
sometimes very sweet, and always having a strong musky 
flavor. The fruit grows singly or in small clusters of from 
4 to 8 berries. I have been told, but this fact has not come 
under my personal observation, that the Bullace when 
grown in swamps is superior in every respect to the fiuit 
grown on high land. If this be true, it would be a singu- 
lar peculiarity, being in direct opposition to the rule of 
other grapes. 
SCUPPERNONG. 
This is the only distinct variety of the Bullace; it is a 
white j^ellowish fruit, dotted like the black ; the leaves 
and the wood are a shade paler than those of the Bullace. 
It is a native of ivorth Carolina, and was found wild on 
the banks of the Seuppernong river. Much has been 
written in praise or against its qualities for the table and 
for wine; in tlie former capacity it will rank according 
to the taste of those who eat it ; it is very sw’cet, some 
what too musky, easy of transportation ; the. skin is 
tough. I have eaten black Bullaces equal to it in every 
respect. 
We are told that good wine has been made from it; 1 
cannot speak fioin experience in this respect; the juice, 
however, requires a considerable additioii of sugar and 
brandy. If it cannot be made into wdne without this, it 
is not worth cultivating extensively, which is much to be 
lamented, for it is a most hardy plant, not at all subject to 
mildew or rot, and a sure and prolifle bearer; but its ber- 
ries do not ripen together ; the period of maturing upon 
the same vine extending over one month, and the fruit 
dropping as it ripens renders the gathering tedious, and 
the vintage would have to be done at several different 
times. It is to be hoped that some precious seedling of 
this or the black, will unite the vigor and productiveness 
of this to the better equalities of others. 
The Seuppernong is of difficult propagation from cut- 
tings, owing to the peculiar texture of the wood, which 
has very little or no peth ; it can, however, be grown in 
that manner with great care. It is mostly increased from 
layers which take roots very easily or from grafting upon 
the wild Bullace. From the way that those grapes grow, 
bearing the fruit singly or in small clusters upon the small 
branches, it follows that pruning will diminish the crop in 
proportion to the number of branches removed ; they 
should only then be trimmed in order to give them a more 
convenient shape, or to remove dead limbs, and it is pro- 
per sometimes to diminish the yield to secure the constant 
bearing. Vineyards of the Seuppernong are laid out 10 
by 15 or 20 feet, as they cover more ground than others. 
FOX GRAPE. 
The next species we shall consider is a small grape 
known by some as “Fox” grape, by others as the Small 
Black Grape. The term “Fox” is applied by many per- 
sons to the third species which I call “Muscadine,” or to 
the first whioh I called “Bullace.” There is no sufficient 
authority to establish the names of these grapes upon a 
permanent basis; until this be done I shall consider “Fox” 
appropriate to this species, and “Muscadine” to the next, 
on account of its high musky flavor. 
The present species has been called, by Botanists, “ Vitis 
Labrusca ” This name must not be retained, as it belongs 
to the only known species of wild grapes in Europe, the 
Labrusque or Lambrusque', so common in the forests or 
hedges of the South or middle of France, but differing es- 
sentially from ours ; its leaves are glazed ; its fruit small 
and black. I do not know whether like ours it is dioe- 
cious. 
The berries of the Fox Grape are small, with thin skin, 
blue black and very seedy; seldom very sweet. lam 
here considering the general type, for there are wild varie- 
ties of this vine, as well as of the others, differing some- 
what in the degree of sweetness and in the appearance of 
the fruit, the bunches are long, and under favorable cir- 
cumstances sufficiently large and packed. The leaves are 
large, generally, (not always) lobed, rough. The young 
wood is very red, vigorous, pithy, .with long joints. This 
vine grows abundantly all over the State, in high as well 
as low grounds, attaining sometimes enormous propor- 
tions, some, especially of the male vines, being found near- 
ly a foot in diameter ; in this respect it surpasses all others; 
it climbs to the summit of the loftiest trees, extending its 
branches from tree to tree. 
The Fox Grape is destined to perform an important part 
in the culture ot this country ; it has already given us 
valuable offsprings, and will, no doubt, produce other still 
superior to these. 
I will now mention some of its cultivated varieties, and 
.shall confine my remarks to those found valuable here, 
at the South. It appears that in Ohio and at the West 
generally they give a decided preference to the varieties of 
the Muscadine; it may be that they have not given others 
a fair trial, or perhaps they do not succeed as well with 
them as with us. 
There is much confusion existing with regard to the 
names of the grapes comprised in this family; the same 
fruit being known under different appellations in different 
localities. 1 have made efforts to solve the difficulty by 
entering into communication with members of the Society 
of Vignerons of Cincinnati ; but it will require some time 
before everything can be made right and each one get its 
proper name. In the meantime,! will apply to each of ours 
the epithet it is known by among us. If our varieties 
prove different from theirs, then let the names we hav« 
given them be permanentt. I will not enter into the la- 
borious and unprofitable ta.sk of writing a description of 
each particular grape ; I will only point out a few of the 
best known in order the more completely to establish 
their origin. By origin I mean their evident descent from 
the wild type ; for it is idle to attempt in most cases to de- 
termine when and by whom each was first brought to 
notice. So many persons have given such very different 
accounts of the origin of some of them, that it has become 
useless to search for information on the subject. With 
the single exception of the Seuppernong, the honor of 
having produced the principal other varieties is di.sputed 
by many candidates, and it will never be satisfactorly de- 
cided to whom is due the honor. 
The principal Foxine varieties cultivated South are: 
