THE VINE. ] 515 



highly coloured. The pulp is juicy, melting and sweet, 

 with a fine aroma. This is an excellent wine grape for 

 the production of table wines and also of dessert wines, 

 but is fast disappearing from our vineyards on account of 

 its erratic production 



19. CATLANA BAJDA, sometimes by mistake ( atla- 

 na. The name is sometimes also applied by mistake to 

 Afignuna bajda or Folle blamhe, but the vine usually 

 known as catlana bajda is the ancient Sicilian vine known 

 as 'tiro or Tiro bianco or Sapa or Tiipiaiiu, and is a 

 valuable table grape common in the province of Catania. 

 The vine is vigorous and highly productive, with a 

 spreading habit, and canes with long internodes, pre- 

 ferring long pruning. The leaves are large, roundish, 

 five-lobed, smooth and dark green on the upper surface, 

 cottony and whitish on the under surface, with a thick 

 and hairy leaf-stalk. The bunches are large, conical, 

 winged and usually compact. The berries are roundish 

 or slightly oval, clear greenish yellow, becoming light 

 yellow or amber, with rusty dots on the sunny side. 1 he 

 pulp is fleshy and thick, sweet, with a very delicate 

 flavour. This is a very good table grape, but does not 

 keep veil, and is also mixed with other grapes for the 

 press. 



20. CORTESE or CORTESE BiANCA. This is an- 

 other recent introduction from Italy. The vine is very 

 vigorous and well productive, having also a marked 

 resistance against cryptogamic diseases. The leaves are 

 quite smooth,- light green in colour and iwe-lobed, 

 whitish and almost smooth on the under surface, with a 

 thin reddish-green leaf-stalk. The bunches are large 

 and long, often irregular, and generally winged. The 

 berries are round,- large and unequal in size, golden 

 yellow, with a more or less rusty appearance on the 

 sunny side. The pulp is rather firm, very juicy, sweet, 

 with an agrcable slightly acid and saltish taste. It is a 



