508 [ THE VINE. 



the lower surface. The bunches are middling long- 

 stalked, winged, and usually loose or even shanked. 

 The berries are round, middling or small, black, heavily 

 covered with bloom. The juice is red, and without a 

 special flavour. It is a good wine grape, producing 

 a wine intensely coloured and alcoholic. 



3. Avista bajda (It.=Agostenga, Uva luce, Prie 

 blanc of Aosta, called also vert de Madere etc.). This 

 vine is probably native of Upper Italy, and is very 

 vigorous and productive ; has very long shoots or canes 

 and should be grown preierably for the pergola. Its 

 canes are dark reddish, and flowers late. The leaves 

 are medium or small, smooth on the upper surface 

 slightly hairy on the lower surface, and are almost 

 always trilobed. The bunches are of medium size, often 

 winged, conical, compact. The berries are middling, 

 round or roundish, greenish white, becoming light yellow 

 on the sunny side. Pulp soft, juicy, sugary, well flavoured. 

 Matures in August, but sometimes abort mid- July or 

 earlier. It is one of the earliest grapes, if not the 

 earliest, being sometimes exhibited ripe in the show at 

 Boschetto on the 2Qth June. It is chiefly a table 

 grape. 



4. Attista seuda. (It. =Agostina, San Lorenzo, 

 Agostenga nera). This vine is native of Southern Italy, 

 and is common in the neighbourhood of Naples, but is 

 rare in our vineyards, probably owing to its low pro- 

 duction. The leaves are 3 to 5 lobed. long, tough and 

 very hairy on the under surface, wit'i a short reddish 

 leaf- stalk. The bunches aie long, cylindrical, winged, 

 bluish black, with a thick lind, and a fleshy, sweet pulp. 

 It is a table grape of iairly L^ood quality, It is a distinct 

 sort, and not a mere variation cf Auis'a Bajda. 



5. Barbera, corrupted into Barbria in Maltese. 

 This is an ancient Piedmontese vine, recently introduced 

 in these Islands. The vine is vigorous, very productive 



