696 
London market is to be had in the highest degree of perfection 
from March to January. Vines are grown at the same time on 
walls, unaided by fire-heat, and in favorable seasons the more 
hardy sorts attain a tolerable degree of maturity, but they are 
of little value compared with those grown in vineries and hot- 
houses. The uses of the grape in Britain are well known, in the 
dessert it ranks next to the pine-apple, and is by some pre- 
ferred to it. The leaves form an excellent garnish to other 
table-fruits. Wine is sometimes made in England by expressing 
and fermenting the juice, either alone or with that of other 
fruits; and it has even been made from a decoction of the 
leaves, as well as from a decoction of the young shoots. 
In warmer climates it is not only used in the dessert, but eaten 
with bread, either newly gathered or dried as raisins; and in 
these countries from the fermented juice a wine is made supe- 
rior to all others for stimulating the stomach and exhilarating 
the spirits. The medical products of the vine are verjuice, 
used as the juice of lemons; tartar, a gentle cathartic ; vinegar, 
used as a condiment ; for extracting the virtues of other medi- 
cines ; for counteracting the effects of vegetable poisons. Even 
wine itself is given as a medicine in typhus fevers, in nervous 
disorders, in putrid sore-throat, and even in the plague. Martyn 
says wine is the most grateful and efficacious cordial that can be 
furnished from the whole class of aromatics. 
The varieties of the vine are exceedingly numerous, partly 
from its antiquity, it having, as Professor Martyn remarks, been 
cultivated since the time of Noah, and partly from the influence of 
the soils and climates in changing the qualities of grapes, there 
being hardly two vineyards in France or Italy where the sorts, 
though originally the same, remain long precisely alike, but 
chiefly, as far as respects this country, from the facility with 
which new sorts are produced from seed. Parkinson, in 1627, 
enumerates 23 varieties. Ray, in 1688, enumerates 12 sorts 
as then much in request. Rea, in 1702, adds 5 sorts to Ray’s 
list. Switzer, in 1717, says, “It is to Lord Capel and Sir 
William Temple that we are owing that collection of good 
grapes now so plenty in England ; the latter,” he says, “ brought 
over the Chasselas, Parsley and Frontignac ; and also the Am- 
boyna, Burgundy, Black Muscat, and Grisly I’rontignac ; all 
highly approved varieties. The most valuable additions to the 
varieties have been procured by sowing the seeds of sorts 
ripened in this country. Many varieties have been sent from 
Spain, France, and Italy, so that the list of some British 
nurserymen exceed 250 names. No successful attempt has been 
made to class the numerous varieties of the vine either in France 
or England, as Duhamel did those of other fruits. M. Bosc 
was employed to compare and class those collected at the Luxem- 
burg, but in 1809 he had only succeeded in figuring and de- 
scribing 50 distinct sorts. In the catalogue published of the 
Luxemburg collection by Hervey in 1802, the arrangement is, 
Ist, vines with black oval fruits 37 sorts; 2nd, black round 
fruits 98 sorts ; 3rd, white oval fruits 44 sorts ; 4th, white round 
fruits 73 sorts ; 5th, grey or violet oval fruits 5 sorts; and 6th, 
grey or violet round fruits 10 sorts, making 267 in all. 
A list of British grapes cultivated in nurseries, arranged 
according to the colour and shape of their berries. 
* Grapes nith round black berries. 
1 Early Black or July Grape. Morillon noir hatif, or Raisin 
de la Madaleine (Fr.). An old variety from France, principally 
esteemed for being early ripe, berries small.—Lang. P. t. 47. 
. 8. 
2 Black Muscadine or Black Frankindale. Muscat noir (Fr.). 
An approved variety, common on dwelling-houses about London. 
It is a good bearer ; the leaves change to a fine scarlet and yellow 
colour in autumn.—Lang. p. t. 836. Excellent for a vinery. 
AMPELIDEX. 
IV. Viris. 
3 Black Grape from Tripoli. This is a free growing kind. 
The berries are nearly all of a size, and are slightly undulated, 
some are without seeds, but when they are present small, com- 
pared to any other kind; they do not possess that fine, rich 
bloom ‘that the Black Damascus does. It is, however, a month 
earlier, and is an excellent, tender, rich grape. 
4 Black Damascus or Worksop Manor Grape. A large, ex- 
cellent, late grape, full of rich, vinous juice, but is not a good 
bearer. Imported from Damascus by Edward the ninth duke 
of Norfolk. . 
5 Black Lisbon, Black Spanish or Alicant, Black Portugal, 
Black Valentia or Black Prince. A large, juicy berried va- 
riety, received from Portugal. 
6 Black or Purple Frontignac, or Purple Constantia. Muscat 
noir de Frontignac (Fr.). A large, mealy, rich, and vinous- 
berried variety, which is much esteemed. It must be kept a 
long time before it becomes black, and then its rich flavour is 
gone. Lang. p. t. 38. Excellent for a vinery. o. 
7 Blue or Violet Frontignac. Noir Précoce (Fr.). This is 
the true old Frontignac. No grape will stand early forcing bet- 
ter. The bunches are small, and separate easily. 
8 Black Sweet-nater. A small-berried variety, apt to crack, 
and not much in repute on that account. It is an improper kind 
for a Pine stove. Lang. p. t. 51. 
9 Black Morocco. Le cæur raisin d’Afrique, Raisin de Maroc 
(Fr.). Berries tawny-coloured, of a high musky flavour. It is 
not worth growing unless in large collections. The bunches are 
short and stinted. , 
10 Claret. Clarette rose (Fr.). Wine from white berries 
may be coloured with the leaves of this sort. The berries are 
small and black, and the juice of a blood-colour and harsh tasted. 
The leaves are beautifully veined in autumn. Lang. p. t. 47. 
11 Black Prince. The bunch and berries are large. It well 
deserves a place in a vinery, and ripens well on the open wall.— 
Hook. p. 45. 
¥2 Turners Hardy, Black Esper, and Hardy Blue. A very 
prolific, hardy grape. Aiton considers it one of the best we have 
for a wall.— Hort. trans. 3. 93. 
13 Black Corinth, Zante, Ascalon Currant. Berries small 
and sweet, generally without seeds, and is the sort which pro- 
duces the dried corinths or currants of the shops. From Ascalon 
in Palestine.—Lang. p. 46. 
** Grapes with long black berries. 
14 Black Muscadel. An old variety from France. The 
berries are large, and have a pleasant taste. Itis a shewy, good 
grape, and forms a handsome contrast, grafted on the white mus- 
cat of Alexandria, their habits of growth being in unison. 
15 Black Hamburg or Warner's Grape. An old variety. 
The berries are large, pleasant, and vinous. It is one of the best 
grapes we have, and a plentiful bearer. Excellent for a vinery- 
16 Purple Hamburgh. Muscat violet (Fr.). The berries are 
large, pleasant, and vinous, of a very dark colour. It is a g00 
bearer. 
17 Small Black Cluster, Auvernat, or Black Burgundy. An 
old variety, originally from Burgundy, with hoary leaves. It is 
a good wall fruit. The berries are small and pleasant.—Lang- 
p. t. 41. . 
18 Miller's Burgundy, Miller’s Cluster, Meuner Grape, by 
Miller’s Grape. This variety was originated from seed y 
Miller about 1720. It is a hardy grape, and was used for ma ve 
wine at Painshill vineyard in 1750. The berries are m e 
sized and pleasant. hl 
19 Large Black Cluster. This variety was sent to Speec nd 
from Portugal in 1740. The berries are middle-sized, roug? 
and harsh.—Lang. p. t. 42. 
