in Extra-Tropical Countries. 399 



berries attain the size of small cherries. This species also may per- 

 haps be vastly changed in its fruit by continued culture. Bears slight 

 frost; but it is best in cool climes to keep seedlings for two or three 

 years under shelter, so that sufficient increment and induration of the 

 woody stem takes place for its resisting subsequently some frost, a 

 remark applying to many other kinds of plants to be acclimatised. 



Vitis Indica, 



On the mountains of various parts of India, ascending to an altitude 

 of 3,000 feet in Ceylon. The small berries are edible. The plant 

 should be subjected to horticultural experiments. This is an apt 

 opportunity, to draw attention to some of the various Indian species 

 of Vitis with large edible berries for instance, V. laevigata (Blume), 

 V. thyrsiflora (Miquel), Y. mutabilis (Blume), V. Blumeana (Steudel), 

 all from the mountains of Java, and all producing berries as large as 

 cherries, those of V. Blumeana being particularly sweet. Further 

 may here be inserted V. imperialis (Miquel), from Borneo, V. auricu- 

 lata and V. elongata (Wallich), the latter two from the mountainous 

 mainland of Coromandel, and all producing very large juicy berries; 

 even in the jungle-wilderness. V. quadrangularis (Linne) stretches 

 from Arabia to India and Central Africa, and has also edible fruits. 

 Many such plants may be far more eligible for grape-culture in hot wet 

 climates than the ordinary vine. About 250 species of Vitis are 

 already known, mostly from intra- tropical latitudes, and mostly ever- 

 green; but in regard to their elevation above the ocean and to the nature 

 of their fruits we are almost utterly without data. An herbaceous 

 species of a tuberous vine, occurring in Soudan, is recommended by 

 Mr. Lecard; another tuberous species is noted by Mr. J. B. Martin as 

 wild in Cochin-China, the herbaceous stems being reproduced annually 

 from the roots; both kinds bear excellent grapes; the species from 

 Cochin-China forms long shoots, sometimes to a length of 60 and 

 exceptionally 150 feet, bearing grapes all along the branches. Occa- 

 sionally more than a cwt. of grapes are obtained from one plant, accord- 

 ing to General Haldeman. It would be a grand acquisition to tropical 

 countries; its ripe grapes are produced successively through fully 

 three months; the berries are very large. 



Vitis Labrusca. Linn<$. 



The Isabella-Grape. North -Am erica, from Canada to Texas and 

 Florida, also in Japan. The Schuylkill-Grape is derived from 

 this species. A pale-fruited variety furnishes the Bland's Grape; 

 another yields the American Alexander-Grape (Torrey and Gray). 

 The Concord, Catawba, Isabella, Martha, I ves- Seedling, Hartford- 

 Prolific and a number of other less known varieties are also derived 

 from this species. Among these the Concord takes the first rank as 

 well for wine as for dessert-grapes in the Eastern United States, 

 where it is cultivated more than all the other varieties put together, 

 although it has a strong so-called foxy taste. It is not quite proof 

 against the attacks of the Phylloxera vastatrix, but suffers less than 



