Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-10
FARM AND FIELD.
The Scuppernong Grape and It's Grow
inc Popularity-Its Origin.
The New TannIn Plant Factor in Texas Pro-
gress-Peean Culture in the Lone
Star State
The scuppernonG Grape in Texas.

Inc ScuDpernOnS OEapo III I61ass
For the Gazette.
The Scuppernong grape in Texas, now
so generally cultivated in the lower
Southern states east of the Mississippi
river, is an off-shoot from the Vitis 5uE-
pima species of the grape family, COM
monty known as the Musoadine or the
Bullace. While the representative spe-
cies is black fruited, the Souppernong
may be termed white grape, being of a
greenish- white color when ripe. Aside
from this variation IN color of fruit, the
Scuppernong conforms perfectly to all
peculiarities of the species. 1t is true
variety of mysterious origin, that was
found growing wild IN the woods of
North Carolina. But one plant of Its
kind was ever found. From this one
plant have sprung all the Scuppernong
grapevines now in existence.
All things considered the Scuppernong
Is grand grape. 1t is entirely exempt
from disease and insect pests, and may
be put down as the most prolific oulti-
endure more neglect than any other
repres entative of the vine. With so little
attention will it flourish and give q fair
return that it has quite deservedly won
for itself the sobriquet of ''tne lazy
man IS grape. - And it is by no means a
bad grape as to quality. Every year
finds it growing more popular as table
grape, and as wine grape IT, under
correct management, ranks considerably
above medium.
The ScupperDong grape does not sue
coed well in many portions of Texas, but
this is no fault of either Texas or the
Scuppernong. Texas is undoubtedly one
of the finest Scuppernong states in the
union, and once her people attain to u
clear understanding of the case she will
certainly spring at once into position as
such. Why the grape is not now sue
cess can be easily explained on scientific
principles, and that explanation will
plainly suggest the remedy.
The VjtiS culpiR0 species of the grape is
strictly diCecious; that is, the male flow
ers and the female flowers are borne on
separate plants. In other words, one
vine bears only female flowers, while an
as IN the case of the common persimmon
(DiospyrOS UjrgjniGna). The male plant
bears no fruit, but it yields the pollen
with which the female flowers on some
other plant of its species must be fer
tilted ere there can be any fruit at all.
The SCuppernong is a female plant, of
course, else there could be no Scupper-
nong grapes, and since all the Scupper-
nongs now in existence came originally
from the same vine, as already stated,
there are no male Scuppernong vines.
But the variety fertiliZes readily from
the male plants of the wild Muscadine,
and hence gets along all right where there
are such wild vines, the pollen being
carried to the cultivated vines by insects.
In the states where the Scuppernong
succeeds so we'll wild Muscadines grow
all over the woods, but in those sections
OF Texas where it fails, the wild Musca-
dine has no representation whatever. In
the native fora OF those portions of
Texas there is no VitiS UulpinG, and since
the Mustang or any other grape that may
be growing there, will not cross on the
there can be no fruit.
To every intelligent reader of THE
GAZETTE the remedy must be already ap-
parent. All necessary is for the Texas
to grow a stock Of the male
Muscadine. His start might be easily
made by procuring few male viner for
layers, from any region where the wild
Muscadlne grows. Having his stock
ready, he will send out one male vine
with about every dozen Scuppernongs,
directions for having it planted
IN or near the arbor. By following this
he will get no more letters
about his Scuppernong vines being q
swindle. II will make a bonanza for
him md fos Texas.