AMPELIDE^. III. AMPELOPSIS. IV. VITIS. 



695 



Cult. The hardy species of this genus are well adapted for 

 covering walls, or planting with other climbing plants over 

 bowers or trellis-work ; they are easily increased by layers or 

 cuttings in the autumn. The stove species are not worth grow- 

 ing, except in general collections ; cuttings of these will strike 

 root readily in a pot of sand under a hand-glass, in a moist heat. 



IV. VI'TIS (from the Celtic word gmd, which signifies a tree 

 or shrub, that is to say, the best of trees ; in Spanish it is called 

 vid ; in French vigne ; in English vine. Wine comes from the 

 Celtic word gmin). Lin. gen. no. 284. D. C. prod. 1. p. 633. 



LIN. SYST. Penldndna, Monogynia. Calyx usually 5-toothed. 

 Petals 5, cohering at the top, with a likeness to a calyptra, 

 separating at the base, and deciduous. Stamens 5. Style none. 

 Berry 2-celled, 4-seeded ; cells and seeds often abortive. Climb- 

 ing shrubs, with simple, lobed, cut or toothed, rarely compound 

 leaves, and thyrsoid racemes of small, greenish-yellow flowers. 

 The grape-vine belongs to this genus. 



-f- Hermaphrodite species, natives of the old world. 

 * Leaves entire, toothed, or lobed, seldom jagged. 



1 V. VINIFERA (Lin. spec. 293.) FIG. 1 1 7. 



leaves lobed, sinuately toothed, 

 naked, or downy. Tj . w . H. 

 Native,indigenous, in the southern 

 parts of Asia, but now cultivated 

 every where. Blackw. herb. t. 

 154. There are varieties with the 

 leaves more or less lobed, smooth, 

 pubescent, or downy, flat or curl- 

 ed, pale or deep-green. Branches 

 prostrate, climbing, or erect, ten- 

 der or firm. Racemes loose or 

 crowded, ovate, or cylindrical. 

 Berries red, black, pale-white, or 

 green, watery or fleshy, sweet, 

 musky, or sour. Seeds variable 

 in number, often without. See 

 the great number of varieties enumerated by Duhamel in abr. 

 fr. 2. t. 16. Rox. Clem. var. vid. 1 vol. 8vo. madrid 1807. 

 Chapt. vign. 2 vol. 8vo. Paris 1801. Roam, et Schult. syst. 

 5. p. 300. See also the catalogue of the Luxemburg Garden 

 at Paris, which includes 1400 varieties, gathered from various 

 fruit catalogues. There are about 600 varieties in the gardens 

 about Geneva. 



The vine attains a great age in warm climates. Pliny speaks 

 of a vine which had existed 600 years, and Bosc says that there 

 are vines in Burgundy 400 years old. In Italy there are vine- 

 yards which have been in a flourishing state upwards of 300 

 years, and Miller says that a vineyard 100 years old is reckoned 

 young. The extent of the branches of a vine in certain situa- 

 tions is commensurate with its produce and age. In the hedges 

 of Italy they are found overtopping the highest trees, and in 

 England one plant trained against a row of houses in North- 

 allerton covered a space of 137 square yards, then about 

 100 years old, in the year 1785. There is one at Hampton 

 Court nearly the same age, occupying 116 square yards. The 

 vine sometimes attains a girth of 4 feet in circumference, 

 and will afford planks 15 inches broad. The timber is of 

 great durability. The vine is generally considered of Persian 

 origin, and Dr. Sickler has given a curious account of its mi- 

 gration to Egypt, Greece, and Sicily. From Sicily it is sup- 

 posed to have found its way to Italy, Spain, and France, and 

 in the latter country it is believed to have been cultivated in the 

 time of Antoninus. In the old world the culture of the vine 



forms a branch of rural economy from the 21st to 51st degree 

 of north latitude, or from Schiraz in Persia to Coblentz on the 

 Rhine. Some vineyards are even to be found near Dresden 

 and in Moravia, and by means of garden- culture it is made to 

 produce fruit for the table still farther north, being grown to a 

 considerable degree of perfection in the hothouses of St. Pe- 

 tersburgh and Stockholm. The vine is supposed to have been 

 introduced to Britain by the first Roman governors, though from 

 Tacitus it appears to have been wanting in Agricola's time. 

 There is evidence, however, to prove that vineyards were planted 

 here in the year 280 A. D. and Bede, writing in 731, says 

 there are vineyards growing in several places. Harte observes 

 that the religious fraternities of the dark ages spread out from 

 Italy in all directions, carrying with them the knowledge of 

 agriculture and gardening, and from the celebrated nursery of 

 the wealthy fathers of the Chartreuse of France, which contained 

 24 acres, all sorts of fruit-trees were sold and distributed in 

 Europe and in Asia and Africa, during several centuries pre- 

 vious to the French Revolution, and there is little doubt, Pro- 

 fessor Martyn observes, that orchards and vineyards were com- 

 mon appendages to abbeys and monasteries from their first 

 establishment to the time of the Reformation. From this period 

 they have disappeared in part, perhaps from the culture of the 

 vine being little understood by those to whom the lands of 

 religious houses were sold or granted ; and in part because a 

 better article could be introduced from our French provinces in 

 the time of the Henries, and continued to be imported when we 

 lost these. In modern times vineyards have been planted and 

 wine produced nearly, if not entirely eqxial to that of France. 

 It is stated in the Museum Rusticum, that at Arundel Castle in 

 Sussex the Duke of Norfolk had a vineyard, of which there 

 were in his Grace's cellar in 1763, about 60 pipes of excellent 

 Burgundy. In Miller's time the hon. Charles Hamilton of Pains- 

 hill had a vineyard which succeeded for many years and produced 

 excellent champaigne. There are also accounts of several other 

 individuals who have succeeded in the culture of vineyards. 

 There can be no hesitation therefore in agreeing with these authors, 

 and with Miller, Martyn, and Speechley, that vineyards would 

 succeed in various parts of England, and particularly of Ireland, 

 and produce wine equal to much of that imported from France. 

 Whether this branch of rural economy would be profitable is 

 doubtful to say. It may, however, afford much satisfaction to 

 individuals in favourable situations to form vineyards and drink 

 their own wine. 



Grapes appear to have been in demand for the table as early 

 as the 16th century, for Tusser includes " grapes white and 

 red" in his list of fruits published about the year 1560, but as 

 far as appears the vine has only been cultivated as dwarf stan- 

 dards, or trained against walls or buildings till the beginning of 

 the 18th century. Stoves for preserving curious exotics had 

 been introduced soon after the middle of the 1 7th century, but 

 no mention is to be found of artificial heat to the vine till 1718, 

 when Laurence informs us in his Fruit Garden, published that 

 year, that the Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, has done so 

 much justice to the vine, as to have fires constantly burning be- 

 hind his sloped walls from Lady-day to Michaelmas, whereby lie 

 is rewarded with the largest grapes and even the best Frontignacs 

 in July. These sloped walls were afterwards covered with glass 

 as we are informed. Switzer (Pract. fruit gard. 2d ed. 1763.) 

 appears to be the first author who gives a regular plan of a 

 vinery, with directions for forcing the grape. He advises 

 making fires as early as the middle of December, so as to make 

 vines push by the middle of January. However, since his time 

 the art of forcing has made such rapid progress, that no kitchen- 

 garden worth notice is now without them ; the fruit is produced 

 in some vineries during every month of the year ; and in the 



