THE 3IAGAZINE 



HORTICULTURE. 



SEPTEMBER, 1838. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. Some account of the Miller Burgundy Grape. By 

 Dr. J. C. Howard. 



A FEW weeks since, some specimens of black Hamburgh, 

 white Chasselas, and a grape, which I call Miller Burgundy, 

 were sent by me to the weekly exhibition of the Horticultural 

 Society. The name and character of the latter were doubted 

 by cultivators as well as amateurs. Some writers on the culture 

 of the vine, give this variety the name of Miller, from a person 

 of that name in England, who first raised it from seed; but this is 

 a great error; it derives its name from the French JMeiinier, or 

 Miller, the under side of the foliage being covered with a white 

 down, resembling that which is upon the wing of the insect. 



The grape is decidedly French in its origin, and was cultivated 

 in France centuries before raised in England. It is one of the 

 most prolific of the vinous tribe, and is, I believe, one of the grapes 

 from which the finest Burgundy wine is made. It is thought by 

 many to be a very hardy species, and to be of easy culture in 

 the open air in this climate. Mr. William Prince, in his nomen- 

 clature of grapes, observes that it succeeds best in sandy and 

 light soils, but will flourish in almost any open and dry situation; 

 representing it as very hardy, easily cultivated, and ripening early 

 in September. I very much doubt if it could be ripened in the 

 open air, even in the most favorable position. Indeed, the time 

 for growing the common sweet-water grape, or, in fact, any for- 

 eign grape, would seem to have passed by, with us so far north. 

 The coldness of the nights and uncertainty of our climate pre- 

 vent the perfection of the fruit, which requires an equal and warm 

 temperature; hence the necessity of, at least, covering with glass. 



VOL. IV. — NO. IX. 41 



