680 .Jonnui] of Agriculture, Victorid. [10 Nov., 1916. 



The article concerning this variety in Ampdoyrupliie is contributed 

 by Sr. Duarte de Oliveira, from which the following is abridged: — 



The name of the variety is appropriate — Corni signifying horn-shaped, and 

 festo meaning bent; in other words, bent horn, referring to the bunch, which is 

 curved m a peculiar manner. 



Curiously enough, Columella, at the commencement of the Christian era, wrote 

 of a vine named Ceraumia, which appears to have had some similarity with Corni- 

 festo. ■' We call this vine Corneolus, according to Greek nomenclature. Here we 

 have it both black and white, and it bears three times a year (no doubt referring 

 to the large amount of second crop). Cornifesto is, of recent years, a scion much 

 used in grafting, and is to be found, nowadays, in the majority of Alto Douro 

 vinej^ards." 



It comes into leaf late, but ripens at the same time as most other sorts, except 

 in moist situations, where it ripens with difficulty, though it produces numerous 

 bunches. Especially when grafted on resistant stocks it yields fine bunches^ well 

 filled with juicy grapes. Being a good bearer, and resisting fungus diseases, it is 

 given a high place in the great port wine vine3ards, since it supplies colour, which 

 is lacking in many varieties cultivated in these vineyards. It possesses excellent 

 affinity for the majority of resistant stocks, doing specially well on A. R.G.I, the 

 horn shape of each bunch being accentuated. It does best on very vigorous stocks. 



On the Douro it is either pruned short, or according to the " double Guyot " 

 method (on vines which are strong enough). It may even be pruned very long, 

 when the yield is heavy ; if pruned too long, however, though the bunches are 

 numerous, they are small and poor. 



It plays an important part in the making of port wine. Although not of ideal 

 distinction, its wine is of intense colour and has much briskness. It livens up 

 the softness of other sorts, and gives them the "life" which is missing. Wine 

 made from it alone is coarse and common, but mixed with Alvarelhao, Bastardo, 

 Donzellhino, do Castello, Touriga, and other celebrated varieties, the value of 

 Cornifesto for port wine making will be immediately recognised. If not present 

 in all vineyards, it ought to be ; without Souzao and Cornifesto the wine would 

 not possess enough colour. 



Cornifesto became popular with the change in fashion which demanded darker 

 ports. It is chiefly by the extensive use of Cornifesto, Souzao, and Touriga that 

 this transformation was brought about. The lOilowing ampelograpliical description 

 is given : — 



Vine. — Strong, vigorous ; spreading grower ; bark dead leaf colour, detaching in 

 long fibrous ribbons. 



Buds. — -Large, broad at the base, and pointed; young leaves five-lobed, silkv 

 above, yellowish-white, margined with bright carmine ; cottony beneath, of an 

 ashy white ; teeth scarcely indicated. 



Canes. — Long, compressed, straight and striated; internodes from 4 cm. 

 (1| in.) at the base, and from 8 to 10 cm. (3 to 4 in.) at the tip, of a brownish 

 tint; knots small, reddish; tendrils numerous, slender. 



Leaves. — Medium, as long as broad; substance not very thick, light-green, 

 glabrous above, slightly downy beneath; five-lobed; sinus not deep, especially the 

 lateral ones, which are scarcely indicated ; petiolar sinus forming a small oval 

 opening ; main veins of yellowish colour, rather prominent on the under side, 

 with reddish spots; teeth long, irregular, sharp. Leaf stalk striated, long, reddish. 



Fruit. — Bunches large, long, close, irregularly cylindrical, often horn-shaped, 

 with cavities produced bv missing berries ; stalk medium length, cylindrical or 

 flattened, sometimes divided into two or fliree, bearing secondary bunches smaller 

 than the principal one; pedicels strong, short, terminated by a large warty 

 swelling, of vinous colour ; core short, pulpy, red in the centre, adhering 

 strongly to the berry. Berries medium, spherical, black, with bluish reflection; 

 skins thick, hard and elastic, colouring matter abundant; pulp sweet, fairly 

 juicy; pips per 100 berries — 16 with two, 37 with three, 33 with four, 12 with five, 

 2 with six. 



Mourisco Preto. 



Synonyms: Mourisco tinto, Uva Rei, Mortagua, Olha de Rei, 

 TiNTA Parda. Valenciana, etc. 

 In Mourisco Preto, or, as it is often called, Mourisco Tinto (tinto 

 and preto both meaning dark coloured or red) we have what may be 



