574 THE QRAPE. 



and used in its native country, both green and ripe, as we use goose- 

 berries, for pies, tarts, and preserves, for which it is said to be most 

 excellent. The plant is evergreen, quite hardy, and very orna- 

 mental, flowering from March to June, and ripening its fruit in June 

 arid July. 



The Nepal barberry (B. aristata, Nepal, and B. asiatica, Roxb., also 

 from Nepal) produce purple fruit covered with a fine bloom, which in 

 Nepal arid other parts of India are dried in the sun like raisins, and, like 

 them, brought to table. The plants are quite hardy, and fruit abun- 

 dantly in English gardens, but are scarcely worth cultivating for that 

 purpose, except by the curious. 



The elder-tree (Sambucus nigra, L.) is a low deciduous tree, a 

 native of most parts of Europe, and chiefly found near human habita- 

 tions. It is highly ornamental both when in flower and in fruit. An 

 infusion of the flowers is used to flavour some articles of confectionery, 

 and a wine is made from the fruit by boiling it with spices and sugar. 

 Immense quantities of fruit are grown in Kent, and other places in 

 the neighbourhood of London, and sent to market for making this 

 wine, which is always taken hot. The tree requires a good soil and 

 an open airy situation, and should be kept free from suckers. 



The Cornelian cherry (Cornus Mas., L.) is a low deciduous tree, a 

 native of the middle and south of Europe, in the margins of woods, 

 and in soils more or less calcareous ; and it has been cultivated in 

 gardens, from the time of the Romans, for its fruit, which, however, 

 was not much esteemed by that people. It was very general in ancient 

 gardens ; its fruit being very ornamental on the tree, and also found 

 excellent in tarts, robs, and preserved in various ways. As seedling 

 plants of this species of Cornus bear only male blossoms for twelve or 

 fifteen years, and some continue to do so always, it is desirable to pro- 

 cure plants which have been grafted, or raised by layers from fruit- 

 beariiig trees, the flowers of which are always hermaphrodite. 



Half-hardy and Wall Fruits. 



The wall-fruits of Britain include all those which in the central 

 districts of England require the aid of a wall to bring them to perfec- 

 tion. These are the grape, peach, nectarine, almond, apricot, fig, 

 pomegranate, love-apple, egg-plant, and Peruvian cherry. 



The Grape. 



Many varieties have been produced by different soils and situations 

 on the Continent, in countries where the vine is grown for many years 

 on the same spot for wine ; and by seeds in Britain, where the fruit 

 is grown solely for the dessert. Of late years many successful attempts 

 have been made in crossing different varieties, and the result has been 

 several first-class grapes of English origin. 



Varieties. 

 Black Grapes. We will begin with the king of them all, the 



