096 



AMPELIDEJE. IV. VITIS. 



London market is to be had in the highest degree of perfection 

 from March to January. Vines are grown at the same time on 

 walls, unaided by fire-heat, and in favorable seasons the more 

 hardy sorts attain a tolerable degree of maturity, but they are 

 of little value compared with those grown in vineries and hot- 

 houses. The uses of the grape in Britain are well known, in the 

 dessert it ranks next to the pine-apple, and is by some pre- 

 ferred to it. The leaves form an excellent garnish to other 

 table-fruits. Wine is sometimes made in England by expressing 

 and fermenting the juice, either alone or with that of other 

 fruits ; and it has even been made from a decoction of the 

 leaves, as well as from a decoction of the young shoots. 

 In warmer climates it is not only used in the dessert, but eaten 

 with bread, either newly gathered or dried as raisins; and in 

 these countries from the fermented juice a wine is made supe- 

 rior to all others for stimulating the stomach and exhilarating 

 the spirits. The medical products of the vine are verjuice, 

 used as the juice of lemons; tartar, a gentle cathartic ; vinegar, 

 used as a condiment ; for extracting the virtues of other medi- 

 cines ; for counteracting the effects of vegetable poisons. Even 

 wine itself is given as a medicine in typhus fevers, in nervous 

 disorders, in putrid sore-throat, and even in the plague. Martyn 

 says wine is the most grateful and efficacious cordial that can be 

 furnished from the whole class of aromatics. 



The varieties of the vine are exceedingly numerous, partly 

 from its antiquity, it having, as Professor Martyn remarks, been 

 cultivated since the time of Noah, and partly from the influence-of 

 the soils and climates in changing the qualities of grapes, there 

 being hardly two vineyards in France or Italy where the sorts, 

 though originally the same, remain long precisely alike, but 

 chiefly, as far as respects this country, from the facility with 

 which new Boris are produced from seed. Parkinson, in 1627, 

 enumerates 23 varieties. Ray, in 1688, enumerates 12 sorts 

 as then much in request. Rea, in 1 702, adds 5 sorts to Ray's 

 list. Switzer, in 1717, says, " It is to Lord Capel and Sir 

 William Temple that we are owing that collection of good 

 grapes now so plenty in England ; the latter," he says, " brought 

 over the Chasselas, Parsley and Frontignac ; and also the Am- 

 boyna, Burgundy, Black Muscat, and Grisly Frontignac ; all 

 highly approved varieties. The most valuable additions to the 

 varieties have been procured by sowing the seeds of sorts 

 ripened in this country. Many varieties have been sent from 

 Spain, France, and Italy, so that the list of some British 

 nurserymen exceed 250 names. No successful attempt has been 

 made to class the numerous varieties of the vine either in France 

 or England, as Duhamel did those of other fruits. M. Bosc 

 was employed to compare and class those collected at the Luxem- 

 burg, but in 1809 he had only succeeded in figuring and de- 

 scribing 50 distinct sorts. In the catalogue published of the 

 Luxemburg collection by Hervey in 1 802, the arrangement is, 

 1st, vines with black oval fruits 37 sorts; 2nd, black round 

 fruits 98 sorts ; 3rd, white oval fruits 44 sorts ; 4th, white round 

 fruits 73 sorts ; 5th, grey or violet oval fruits 5 sorts ; and 6th, 

 grey or violet round fruits 10 sorts, making 267 in all. 



A list of British grapes cultivated in nurseries, arranged 

 according to the colour and shape of their berries. 



* Grapes with round black berries. 



1 Early Black or July Grape. Morillon now hatif, or Raisin 

 de la Madaleine (Fr.). An old variety from France, principally 

 esteemed for being early ripe, berries small. Lang. P. t. 47. 



I. o. 



2 Black Muscadine or Black Frankindale. Muscat noir (Fr.). 

 An approved variety, common on dwelling-houses about London. 

 It is a good bearer ; the leaves change to a fine scarlet and yellow 

 colour in autumn. Lang. p. t. 36. Excellent for a vinery. 



3 Black Grape from Tripoli. This is a free growing kind. 

 The berries are nearly all of a size, and are slightly undulated, 

 some are without seeds, but when they are present small, com- 

 pared to any other kind ; they do not possess that fine, rich 

 bloom that the Black Damascus does. It is, however, a month 

 earlier, and is an excellent, tender, rich grape. 



4 Black Damascus or Worksop Manor Grape. A large, ex- 

 cellent, late grape, full of rich, vinous juice, but is not a good 

 bearer. Imported from Damascus by Edward the ninth duke 

 of Norfolk. 



5 Black Lisbon, Black Spanish or Alicant, Black Portugal, 

 Black Valentia or Black Prince. A large, juicy berried va- 

 riety, received from Portugal. 



6 Black or Purple Frontignac, or Purple Constantia. Muscat 

 noir de Frontignac (Fr.). A large, mealy, rich, and vinous- 

 berried variety, which is much esteemed. It must be kept a 

 long time before it becomes black, and then its rich flavour is 

 gone. Lang. p. t. 38. Excellent for a vinery. 



7 Blue or Violet Frontignac. Noir Precoce (Fr.). This is 

 the true old Frontignac. No grape will stand early forcing bet- 

 ter. The bunches are small, and separate easily. 



8 Black Smeet-nater. A small-berried variety, apt to crack, 

 and not much in repute on that account. It is an improper kind 

 for a Pine stove. Lang. p. t. 51. 



9 Black Morocco. Le cceur raisin d'Afrique, Raisin de Maroc 

 (Fr.). Berries tawny-coloured, of a high musky flavour. It is 

 not worth growing unless in large collections. The bunches are 

 short and stinted. 



10 Claret. Clarette rose (Fr.). Wine from white berries 

 may be coloured with the leaves of this sort. The berries are 

 small and black, and the juice of a blood- colour and harsh tasted. 

 The leaves are beautifully veined in autumn. Lang. p. t. 47. 



11 Black Prince. The bunch and berries are large. It well 

 deserves a place in a vinery, and ripens well on the open wall. 

 Hook. p. 45. 



1 2 Turner's Hardy, Black Esper, and Hardy Blue. A very 

 prolific, hardy grape. Aiton considers it one of the best we have 

 for a wall. Hort. trans. 3. 93. 



13 Black Corinth, Zante, Ascalon Currant. Berries small 

 and sweet, generally without seeds, and is the sort which pro- 

 duces the dried corinths or currants of the shops. From Ascalon 

 in Palestine. Lang. p. 46. 



* * Grapes with long black berries. 



14 Black Muscadel. An old variety from France. The 

 berries are large, and have a pleasant taste. It is a shewy, good 

 grape, and forms a handsome contrast, grafted on the white mus- 

 cat of Alexandria, their habits of growth being in unison. 



15 Black Hamburg or Warner's Grape. An old variety. 

 The berries are large, pleasant, and vinous. It is one of the best 

 grapes we have, and a plentiful bearer. Excellent for a vinery. 



16 Purple Hamburgh. Muscat violet (Fr.). The berries are 

 large, pleasant, and vinous, of a very dark colour. It is a good 

 bearer. 



17 Small Black Cluster, Auvernat, or Black Burgundy. An 

 old variety, originally from Burgundy, with hoary leaves. It is 

 a good wall fruit. The berries are small and pleasant. Lang. 

 p. t. 41. 



1 8 Miller's Burgundy, Miller's Cluster, Meunier Grape, or 

 Miller's Grape. This variety was originated from seed by 

 Miller about 1720. It is a hardy grape, and was used for making 

 wine at Painshill vineyard in 1750. The berries are middle- 

 sized and pleasant. 



1 9 Large Black Cluster. This variety was sent to Speechly 

 from Portugal in 1 740. The berries are middle-sized, rough, 

 and harsh. Lang. p. t. 42. 



