72 GRAPE. 



pots in November, removes to the peach house in January, 

 and has ripe fruit in the end of April, which he sends to 

 table growing on the plants." Hort. Trans, iv. 416. 



GRAPE. 

 VIGNE. Vitis, vinifera, vnlpina. 



THE Grape Vine is described by Loudon as a trailing 

 deciduous hardy shrub, with a twisted, irregular stem, and 

 long, flexible branches, decumbent, like those of the bramble, 

 or supporting themselves, when near other trees, by means 

 of tendrils, like the pea. The leaves are large, lobed, 

 entire, or serrated and downy, or smooth, green in summer, 

 but when mature, those of varieties in which the predomi- 

 nating colour is red, constantly change to, or are tinged 

 with some shade of that colour ; and those of white, green, 

 or yellow Grapes, as constantly change to yellow, and are 

 never in the least tinged either with purple, red, or scarlet. 

 The breadth of the leaves varies from five to seven or ten 

 inches, and the length of the foot stalks from four to eight 

 inches. The flowers are produced on the shoots of the 

 same year, which shoots generally proceed from those of 

 the year preceding : they are in the form of a raceme, of a 

 greenish white colour, and fragrant odour, appearing in 

 the open air in June ; and the fruit, which is of the berry 

 kind, attains such maturity as the season and situation admit, 

 by the middle or end of September. The berry, or Grape, 

 is generally globular, but often ovate, oval, oblong, or finger- 

 shaped ; the colour green, red, yellow, amber, and black, or 

 a variegation of two or more of these colours. The skin is 

 smooth, the pulp and juice of a dulcet, poignant, elevated, 

 generous flavour. Every berry ought to enclose five small 

 heart or pear shaped stones; though, as some generally 

 fail, they have seldom more than three, and some varieties, 



