Chap. X. VINES. 353 



produced almost every year; for instance, 5 a golden-coloured 

 variety has been recently raised in England from a black grape 

 without the aid of a cross. Van Mons 6 reared a multitude of 

 varieties from the seed of one vine, which was completely separated 

 from all others, so that there could not, at least in this generation, 

 have been any crossing, and the seedlings presented " les analogues 

 de toutes les sortes," and differed in almost every possible character 

 both in the fruits and foliage. 



The cultivated varieties are extremely numerous ; Count Odart 

 says that he will not deny that there may exist throughout the 

 world 700 or 800, perhaps even 1000 varieties, but not a third of 

 these have any value. In the catalogue of fruit cultivated in the 

 Horticultural Gardens of London, published in 1842, 99 varieties 

 are enumerated. Wherever the grape is grown many varieties 

 occur : Pallas describes 24 in the Crimea, and Burnes mentions 10 

 in Cabool. The classification of the varieties has much perplexed 

 writers, and Count Odart is reduced to a geographical system ; but 

 I will not enter on this subject, nor on the many and great dif- 

 ferences between the varieties. I will merely specify a few curious 

 and trifling peculiarities, all taken from Odart's highly esteemed 

 work, 7 for the sake of showing the diversified variability of this 

 plant. Simon has classed grapes into two main divisions, those 

 with downy leaves, and those with smooth leaves, but he admits 

 that in one variety, namely the Eebazo, the leaves are either smooth, 

 or downy ; and Odart (p. 70) states that some varieties have the 

 nerves alone, and other varieties their young leaves, downy, whilst 

 the old ones are smooth. The Pedro-Ximenes grape (Odart, p. 397) 

 presents a peculiarity by which it can be at once recognised amongst 

 a host of other varieties, namely, that when the fruit is nearly ripe 

 the nerves of the leaves or even the whole surface becomes yellow. 

 The Barbera d'Asti is well marked by several characters (p. 426), 

 amongst others, " by some of the leaves, and it is always the lowest 

 on the branches, suddenly becoming of a dark red colour." Several 

 authors in classifying grapes have founded their main divisions on 

 the berries being either round or oblong ; and Odart admits the 

 value of this character; yet there is one variety, the Maccabeo 

 (p. 71), which often produces small round, and large oblong, berries 

 in the same bunch. Certain grapes called Nebbiolo (p. 429) present 

 a constant character, sufficient for their recognition, namely, " the 

 slight adherence of that part of the pulp which surrounds the seeds 

 to the rest of the berry, when cut through transversely." A Rhenish 

 variety is mentioned (p. 228) which likes a dry soil ; the fruit ripens 

 well, but at the moment of maturity, if much rain falls, the berries 

 are apt to rot ; on the other hand, the fruit of a Swiss variety (p. 243) 

 is valued for well sustaining prolonged humidity. This latter 



5 « Gardener's Chronicle,' 1864, p. p. 290. 



488. 7 Odart, ' Ampelographie Unfter- 



6 ' Arbres Fruitiers,' 18S6, torn. ii. selie,' 1849. 



