Manual of American Grape-Growing Part 28

_Brush_: The end of the pedicel projecting into the fruit.

_Base_: The point of attachment of bunch or berry.

_Apex_: The point opposite the base.

_Bloom_: The powdery coating on the fruit.

_Pigment_: The coloring matter in the skin.

_Quality_: The combination of characters that makes grapes pleasant to the palate, sight, smell and touch.

_Foxiness_: The rancid taste and smell of some grapes which are similar to the effluvium of a fox.

Of all organs the fruit is most responsive to changed conditions and hence most variable. Yet the fruits furnish most valuable characters for determining both species and varieties. Size, shape, compactness and the number of cl.u.s.ters on a shoot must be noted. Coming to the berry, size, shape, color, bloom, adherence of stigma to the apex and adhesion of fruit to the pedicel are all of value. Difference in adherence of the skin to the pulp separates European from all American grapes. The thickness, toughness, flavor and pigment of the skin have more or less value. The color, firmness, juiciness, aroma and flavor of the flesh, as well as its adherence to seed and skin, are valuable marks in describing grapes. All species and varieties are well distinguished by the time of ripening and by keeping quality. The color of the juice is a plain and certain dividing line between some species and many varieties.

_The seed._

_Beak_: The narrow prolonged base of the seed.

_Hilum_: The scar left where the seed was attached to the seed-stalk.

_Chalaza_: The place where the seed-coats and kernel are connected.

_Raphe_: The line or ridge which runs from the hilum to the chalaza.

Seeds are accounted of much value in determining species. The size and weight of seed differ greatly in different species, as they do also in varieties of any one species. Thus, of native grapes, Labrusca has the largest and heaviest seeds and Vulpina has the smallest seed, while those of aestivalis are of medium size and weight. The shape and color of seed offer distinguishing marks, while the size, shape and position of the raphe and chalaza furnish very certain marks of distinction in some species.

THE GENUS VITIS

The genus Vitis belongs to the vine family (Vitaceae) in which most botanists also put the wood-vines (Ampelopsis), of which Virginia creeper is the best-known plant. The genus Cissus, to which belong many southern climbers, is combined with Vitis by some botanists.

Vitis is separated from Ampelopsis and Cissus by marked differences in several organs, of which, horticulturally at least, those in the fruit best serve to distinguish the group. Species of Vitis, with possibly one or two exceptions, bear pulpy edible fruits; species of Ampelopsis and Cissus bear fruits with pulp so scant that the berries are inedible. Vitis is further distinguished as follows: The plants are climbing or trailing, rarely shrubby, with woody stems and mostly with coiling, naked-tipped tendrils. The leaves are simple, palmately lobed, round-dentate or heart-shaped-dentate. The stipules are small, falling early. The flowers are polygamo-dioecious (some plants with perfect flowers, others staminate with at most a rudimentary ovary), five-parted. The petals are separated only at the base and fall off without expanding. The disk is hypogynous with five nectariferous glands which are alternate with the stamens. The berry is globose or ovoid, few-seeded and pulpy. The seeds are pyriform and beak-like at the base.

SPECIES OF AMERICAN GRAPES

The number of species of grapes in the world depends on the arbitrary limits set for a species of this fruit, and knowledge of the genus is yet too meager to set these limits with certainty. Indeed, the men who have made grape species have seldom been able to outline the habitats of their groups with much certainty. In habitat, it should be said, grapes are confined almost wholly to temperate and subtropical regions. However, the grape-grower is not much concerned with species of grapes other than those that have horticultural value. Of these, in America, there are now ten more or less cultivated either for fruit or for stocks. The following descriptions of these ten species are adapted from the author's The Grapes of New York, published in 1908 by the state of New York (Chapter IV, pages 107-156).

CONSPECTUS OF CULTIVATED SPECIES OF VITIS

_A._ Skin of mature berry separating freely from the pulp.

_B._ Nodes without diaphragms; tendrils simple.

1. _V. rotundifolia._ 2. _V. Munsoniana._ _BB._ Nodes with diaphragms; tendrils forked.

_C._ Leaves and shoots glabrous at maturity and without bloom; tendrils intermittent.

_D._ Leaves thin, light, bright green, generally glabrous below at maturity except perhaps in the axils of the veins with a long or at least a prominent point and usually long and sharp teeth or the edge even-jagged.

_E._ Leaves broader than long; petiolar sinus usually wide and shallow.

3. _V. rupestris._ _EE._ Leaves ovate in outline; petiolar sinus usually medium to narrow.

4. _V. vulpina._ _DD._ Leaves thick, dull colored or grayish-green, often holding some close, dull p.u.b.escence below at maturity, shoots and leaves nearly always more or less p.u.b.escent when young; the teeth mostly short.

5. _V. cordifolia._ 6. _V. Berlandieri._ _CC._ Leaves rusty or white tomentose or glaucous blue below, thick or at least firm.

_D._ Leaves flocculent or cobwebby or glaucous below when fully grown.

7. _V. aestivalis._ 8. _V. bicolor._ _DD._ Leaves densely tomentose or felt-like beneath throughout the season; covering white or rusty white.

_E._ Tendrils intermittent.

9. _V. candicans._ _EE._ Tendrils mostly continuous.

10. _V. Labrusca._ _AA._ Skin and pulp of mature berry cohering. (Old World.) 11. _V. vinifera._

1. _Vitis rotundifolia_, Michx. Muscadine Grape. Bull Grape. Bullet Grape. Bushy Grape. Bullace Grape. Scuppernong. Southern Fox Grape.

Vine very vigorous, sometimes, when without support, shrubby and only three or four feet high; when growing in the shade often sending down aerial roots. Wood hard, bark smooth, not scaling, with prominent warty lenticels; shoots short-jointed, angled, with fine scurfy p.u.b.escence; diaphragms absent; tendrils intermittent, simple. Leaves small, broadly cordate or roundish; petiolar sinus wide, shallow; margin with obtuse, wide teeth; not lobed; dense in texture, light green color, glabrous above, sometimes p.u.b.escent along veins below. Cl.u.s.ter small (6-24 berries), loose; peduncle short; pedicels short, thick. Berries large, globular or somewhat oblate, black or greenish-yellow; skin thick, tough and with a musky odor; pulp tough; ripening unevenly and dropping as soon as ripe. Seeds flattened, shallowly and broadly notched; beak very short; chalaza narrow, slightly depressed with radiating ridges and furrows; raphe a narrow groove. Leafing, flowering and ripening fruit very late.

The habitat of this species is southern Delaware, west through Tennessee, southern Illinois, southeastern Missouri, Arkansas (except the northwestern portions), to Grayson County, Texas, as a northern and western boundary, to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf on the east and south. It becomes rare as one approaches the western limit but is common in many sections of the great region outlined above, being most abundant on sandy, well-drained bottom lands and along river banks and in swampy, thick woodlands and thickets. The climate most suitable for Rotundifolia is that in which cotton grows, and it thrives best in the lower portions of the cotton-belt of the United States.

The fruit of Rotundifolia is very characteristic. The skin is thick, has a leathery appearance, adheres strongly to the underlying flesh and is marked with lenticel-like russet dots. The flesh is more or less tough but the toughness is not localized around the seed as in the case of Labrusca. The fruit and most of the varieties of the species are characterized by a strong, musky aroma and are lacking in sugar and acid. Some varieties yield over four gallons of must to the bushel. Wine-makers are divided in opinion as to its value for wine-making, but at present the most promising outlook for Rotundifolia varieties is as wine, grape-juice and culinary grapes.

Rotundifolia does not produce fruit suitable for shipping as dessert grapes chiefly because the berries ripen unevenly and when ripe drop from the cl.u.s.ter. The common method of gathering the fruit of this species is to shake the vines at intervals so that the ripe berries drop on sheets spread below the vines. The juice which exudes from the point where the stem is broken off causes the berries to become smeared and gives them an unattractive appearance. Owing, however, to the tough skin, the berries do not crack as badly as other grapes would under the same conditions, but nevertheless they are not adapted to long-distance shipments. Under reasonably favorable conditions, the vines attain great age and size and when grown on arbors, as they often are, and without pruning, they cover a large area.

Rotundifolia is remarkably resistant to the attacks of all insects and to fungal diseases. The phylloxera do not attack its roots and it is considered as resistant as any other, if not the most resistant of all American species. The vines are grown from cuttings only with difficulty and this prevents the use of this species as a resistant stock. However, under favorable circ.u.mstances, and with skillful handling, this is a successful method of propagation. Under unfavorable circ.u.mstances, or when only a few vines are desired, it is better to depend on layers. As a stock upon which to graft other vines, this species has not been a success. There is great difficulty in crossing Rotundifolia with other species, but several Rotundifolia hybrids are now on record.

2. _Vitis Munsoniana_, Simpson. Florida Grape. Everbearing grape. Bird Grape. Mustang Grape of Florida.

Vine slender, usually running on the ground or over low bushes.

Canes angular; internodes short; tendrils intermittent, simple.

Leaves smaller and thinner than Rotundifolia and rather more circular in outline; not lobed; teeth open and spreading; petiolar sinus V-shaped; both surfaces smooth, rather light green. Cl.u.s.ter with more berries but about the same size as in Rotundifolia.

Berry one-third to one-half the diameter, with thinner and more tender skin; black, shining; pulp less solid, more acid and without muskiness. Seeds about one-half the size of those of Rotundifolia, similar in other respects. Leafing, flowering and ripening fruit very late.

The habitat of _V. Munsoniana_ is central and southern Florida and the Florida Keys. It extends south of the habitat of Rotundifolia and blends into this species at their point of meeting. Munsoniana appears to be a variation of Rotundifolia, fitted to subtropical conditions.

It is tender, not enduring a lower temperature than zero. In the matter of multiplication, it differs from _V. rotundifolia_ in that it can be propagated readily from cuttings. Like Rotundifolia it is resistant to phylloxera.

3. _Vitis rupestris_, Scheele. Mountain Grape. Rock Grape. Bush Grape.

Sand Grape. Sugar Grape. Beach Grape.

A small, much branched shrub or, under favorable circ.u.mstances, climbing. Diaphragm thin; tendrils few, or if present, weak, usually deciduous. Leaves small; young leaves frequently folded on midrib; broadly cordate or reniform, wider than long, scarcely ever lobed, smooth, glabrous on both surfaces at maturity; petiolar sinus wide, shallow; margin coa.r.s.ely toothed, frequently a sharp, abrupt point at terminal. Cl.u.s.ter small. Berries small, black or purple-black. Seeds small, not notched; beak short, blunt; raphe distinct to indistinct, usually showing as a narrow groove; chalaza pear-shaped, sometimes distinct, but usually a depression only. Leafing, blossoming and ripening early.

This species is an inhabitant of southwestern Texas, extending eastward and northward into New Mexico, southern Missouri, Indiana and Tennessee to southern Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Its favorite places are gravelly banks and bars of mountain streams or the rocky beds of dry watercourses. This species is rather variable both in type and growth. It was introduced into France at about the same time as Vulpina, and the French vineyardists selected the most vigorous and healthy forms for grafting stock. These pa.s.s under the various names of Rupestris Mission, Rupestris du Lot, Rupestris Ganzin, Rupestris Martin, Rupestris St. George and others. In France, these varieties have given particularly good results on bare, rocky soils with hot, dry exposures. In California, Rupestris does not flourish in dry locations, and as it suckers profusely and does not take the graft as readily as Vulpina and aestivalis, it is not largely propagated.

The cl.u.s.ters of fruit are small, with berries about the size of a currant and varying from sweet to sour. The berry is characterized by much pigment under the skin. The fruit has a sprightly taste wholly free from any disagreeable foxiness. Rupestris under cultivation is said to be very resistant to rot and mildew of the foliage. The vine is considered hardy in the Southwest. The attention of hybridizers was attracted to this species over thirty years ago, and various hybrids have been produced of great promise for grape-breeding. The root system of Rupestris is peculiar in that the roots penetrate at once deeply into the ground instead of extending laterally as in other species. Like those of Vulpina, the roots are slender, hard and resistant to phylloxera. The species is easily propagated by cuttings.

The vines bench-graft readily but are difficult to handle in field grafting.

4. _Vitis vulpina_, Linn. (_V. riparia_, Michx.). Winter Grape. River Grape. Riverside Grape. Riverbank Grape. Sweet-scented Grape.

Vine very vigorous, climbing. Shoots cylindrical or angled, usually smooth, slender; diaphragms thin; tendrils intermittent, slender, usually bifid. Leaves with large stipules; leaf-blade large, thin, entire, three- or lower ones often five-lobed; sinuses shallow, angular; petiolar sinus broad, usually shallow; margin with incised, sharply serrate teeth of variable size; light green, glabrous above, glabrous but sometimes p.u.b.escent on ribs and veins below. Cl.u.s.ter small, compact, shouldered; peduncle short. Berries small, black with a heavy blue bloom. Seeds two to four, small, notched, short, plump, with very short beak; chalaza narrowly oval, depressed, indistinct; raphe usually a groove, sometimes distinct. Very variable in flavor and time of ripening.

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 considered 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 growing 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 withstanding drouth as Rupestris. Vulpina likes a rather rich soil, but in France has been found to do poorly on limestone land and calcareous marls. The French tell us, however, that this is a characteristic of all our American grapes, and that Vulpina is more resistant to the injurious effects of an excess of lime than either Rupestris or aestivalis.

The fruit of Vulpina is usually small, there being occasional varieties of medium size or above. The cl.u.s.ters are of medium size and, if judged from the standpoint of number of berries, might frequently be called large. The flavor is usually sharply acid but free from foxiness or any disagreeable wild taste. If eaten in quant.i.ty, the acidity is likely to affect the lips and end of the tongue. When the acidity is somewhat ameliorated, as in the case of thoroughly ripe or even over-ripe and shriveled fruit, the flavor is much liked. The flesh is neither pulpy nor solid and dissolves in the mouth and separates readily from the seed. The must of Vulpina is characterized by an average amount of sugar, varying considerably in the fruit from different vines, and by an excess of acid.

Vulpina is very resistant to phylloxera, the roots are small, hard, numerous and branch freely. The roots feed close to the surface and do not seem to be well adapted to forcing their way through heavy clays.

Vulpina grows readily from cuttings and makes a good stock for grafting, its union with other species being usually permanent. When Vulpinas were first sent to France to be used as a stock in reconst.i.tuting the French vineyards, it was found that many of the vines secured from the woods were too weak in growth to support the stronger-growing Viniferas. On this account the French growers selected the more vigorous forms of the Vulpinas, to which they gave varietal names, as Vulpina Gloire, Vulpina Grand Glabre, Vulpina Schribner, Vulpina Martin and others. With these selected Vulpinas, the graft does not outgrow the stock. Vulpina is less resistant to black-rot than aestivalis but somewhat more resistant than Labrusca.

The foliage is rarely attacked by mildew. One of the chief failings of this species is the susceptibility of the leaves to the attack of the leaf-hopper. The Vulpinas are generally late in ripening; the fruit is better in quality in long seasons and should be left on the vines as late as possible.

5. _Vitis cordifolia_, Michx. Winter Grape. Frost Grape. Fox Grape.

Chicken Grape. Heart-leaved Vitis. Possum Grape. Sour Winter Grape.

Vine very vigorous, climbing. Shoots slender; internodes long, angular, usually glabrous, sometimes p.u.b.escent; diaphragms thick; tendrils intermittent, long, usually bifid. Leaves with short, broad stipules; leaf-blade medium to large, cordate, entire or indistinctly three-lobed; petiolar sinus deep, usually narrow, acute; margin with coa.r.s.e angular teeth; point of leaf ac.u.minate; upper surface light green, glossy, glabrous; glabrous or sparingly p.u.b.escent below. Cl.u.s.ters medium to large, loose, with long peduncle. Berries numerous and small, black, shining, little or no bloom. Seeds medium in size, broad, beak short; chalaza oval or roundish, elevated, very distinct; raphe a distinct, cord-like ridge. Fruit sour and astringent and frequently consisting of little besides skins and seeds. Leafing, flowering and ripening fruit very late.