Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-06
FARM AND FIELD.
The Scuppernong Grape and Its Grow
ing POpularity-Its Origin.
The New Tannin Plant Factor In Texas Pro-
gress-Peean Culture in the Lone
Star state.
The scuppernons Grape in Texas.


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 VItts UuI-
pilla species of the grape family, COM
monty known as the Musoadiue or the
Bullace. While the representative spe-
cies Is black-fruited, the Scuppernong
may be termed white grape, being of q
greenish- white color when ripe Aside
from this variation IN color of fruit, the
Scuppernong conforms perfectly to all
peculiarities of the species. It is q 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 Souppernong
Is a grand grape. It is entirely exempt
from disease and insect pests, and may
be put down as the most prolific Guilt
waited grape known, and one that will
endure more neglect than any other
representative of the vine. With so little
attention will it flourish and give fair
return that it has quite deservedly won
for itself the sobriquet of "the lazy
man s grape.'' And it is by no means
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 Scuppernong grape does not sue
coed well in many PORTIONS of Texas, but
this is no fault of either Texas or the
ScupparnOng. Texas is undoubtedly one
of the finest Souppernong states in the
union, and once her people attain to a
clear understanding OF the case she will
certainly spring at once into position as
such. Why the grape is not now a sue
cess can be easily explained on scientific
principles, and that explanation will
plainly suggest the remedy.
The Vitis gulpina species Of the grape is
strictly dioecious; 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
other bears only male flowers, the same
as IN the ease Of the common persimmon
(DioSJyr0S UirgiRidad). 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 De 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 well wild Muscadines grow
all over the woods, but in those sections
of Texas where it fails, the wild Musoa-
dine has no represen tation whatever. In |
the native fora of those portions of |
Texas there is no VitiS oulpiaG, 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 |
nurserymen 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 |
MuscadIne grows. Having his stock
ready, he will send out one male vine
with about every dozen Scuppernongs,
furnishing directions for having it planted
n or near the arbOr. By following this
he will get no more letters
about his Scuppernong vines being a
'windle. II will make a bonanza for
him and fos Texas.