214 CLASS PENTANDRIA. 



near the latitude of Albany, across the United States to the Pa- 

 cific ocean ; not however in a straight line, for climate, although 

 chiefly dependent on latitude, is yet much modified by other 

 circumstances ; and on the western coast of America we find 

 in latitude 50, a similar climate to the 43d degree of latitude 

 on the eastern coast. Thus the wine grape may grow in 50 

 of latitude, near the lakes, the Mississippi, and Pacific ocean ; 

 while, in the eastern part of New York and New England, 

 it would not thrive beyond the 43d degree of latitude. 



We find, on the other side of the Atlantic, the region of 

 the wine grape, including Fjsmce, and the southern countries 

 of Europe, extending as high as latitude 50; 



The southern limit of the wine grape where the mean an- 

 nual temperature is about 59, is traced from Raleigh, in the 

 United States, in latitude 35, to Europe, where it passes be- 

 tween Rome and Florence, in latitude 44 ; this line is the 

 boundary between the grape region and that of the olive and 

 fig, which you know, require a higher temperature than the 

 grape. 



The banks of the Rhine produce excellent grapes, which 

 are brought down the river in great quantities to the seaports. 

 The festival of the Vintage, or the gathering of the grapes, 

 which, like our Thanksgiving season, is intended as a mani- 

 festation of gratitude forjhe fruits of the earth, was celebra- 

 ted with much joy by the ancient Romans, and is still observ- 

 ed by t^he people of Italy ; it occurs with them about the be- 

 ginning of September ; in France and the south of Germany, 

 it is later. 



The Fallemian wine was the most celebrated among the 

 Romans ; some of the Latin poets spoke of it oftener than we 

 should expect from those, whose intellectual taste might seem 

 to elevate them above any very great attention to the gratifi- 

 cation of the external senses. The number of wines in use, 

 in the days of Virgil, was such, that he said he might as well 

 attempt to count the sand on the shore, or the billows of the 

 ocean in a storm, as to make a catalogue of them. 



The vines of Italy, are often trained upon trees, particular, 

 ly upon the lofty elm. In France, the vineyards have short 

 poles, about the length of bean poles. The appearance ex- 

 hibited by a luxuriant vineyard is truly rich and beautiful ; of 

 those of France and Italy, it may well be said, 



" The vine her curling tendrils shoots, 

 Hangs out her clusters, glowing to the south, 

 And scarcely wishes for a wanner sky." 



Which ia the natural limit of the wine grape ? How does the climate of the 

 western coast of America correspond to that of the eastern coast ? Crossing 

 the Atlantic, where do we find the northern and southern limits of the wino 

 ^ ? Vintage 4Vines Vineyards. 



