124 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Nov. 6, 182!). 



[From Prince's Trcaliso on tlic Vine, now in press al 

 New York, and will be publinhcd in a few wcelis. Sec 

 . New England Farmer, vol. viii. chap. x. page P".] • 



NOMKNCLATLRE OF GR.VPES. 



Disliiiclions of Ilic vnriptic-s of the vine have 

 long been obscuro nml empiric, and there yet ex- 

 isU a iiiullitiide of kimis, in ref,'ar(l to whicli no 

 general points of ngrecinent have been e^^tablished, 

 or terms and characters agreed on, as )>ermaiicut 

 oxprcHsioiis, by which they may be universally de- 

 signated and recognised. 



The names given by the Romans to their vines, 

 Oiffcr so much from those of modern date, that it 

 ■would be difficult to recognise them, and to realize 

 their identity with those of the present day, and a 

 fow instances only exist, where ihey can be dis- 

 tinctly identified, or whore the titles liave re- 

 mained imchanged. Virgil has given us tlie names 

 of some of the kinds most celebrated in his lime, 

 and Pliny has been quite copious on tlie subject, 

 but even his catalogue is far from being i>erfect. 



Columella, one of the most intelli:,'cnt and dis- 

 tinguished Latin natural philosopliers, particular- 

 izes ( De Rerusnca, lib. iii. cap. 2,) fifty-eight vari- 

 eties of the vi^e. Crcscenzio, the restorer of Ital- 

 ian agriculture, enumerates forty varieties which 

 were peculiar to the peninsula in the third cen- 

 tury. — (Opulus Ruratium, commodonnn, lib. iv. 

 cap. 3 and 4.) Alun/.o de Ilcrrara, distinguished 

 important dilferenccs in fifteen of the principal 

 Spanish varieties. — (Agricullura generalis, Hb. iii. 

 cap. 2.) 



Lestini, in his travels in Asia, gives tlie names 

 of twenty-one varieties of grapes cultivated at 

 Cyziquc, which proves that they knew how to dis- 

 tlDguish them in Asia Minor as they do in France. 

 ■ Tussor, in 1560, mentions only " white and red" 

 grapes. Parkinson, who was more of a liorticul- 

 turist, gives, in 1G29, a list of twenty-three sorts, 

 inchiding the white nuiscadine, and several others 

 now conmion in our gardens. Ray, in 168S, enu- 

 merates thirteen sorts, as then most in request. 

 Rea, in 1702, gives most of those in Ray's lists, 

 and adds five more kinds, recommending the red, 

 white, and the D'.Vrbois or royal muscadine, two 

 Frontignac varieties, and the blood red, as best 

 suited fur the climate of England. Bradley, in 

 1724, gives a list of forty-nine varieties, as then 

 most esteemed in France, but does not attenqit to 

 reconcile their identity with the names in English 

 catalogues. Miller describes fifty-two varieties, 

 and adds the names of about a dozen more. — - 

 8peechly enumerates in detail fifty varieties, and 

 gives a list, with short descriptions, of about twenty 

 others, but nuiny of these arc synonymous. For- 

 Hytli, in his last antj miu-h im]irovcd edition, de- 

 scribes fifty-five varieties, and gives the names of 

 twenty-eight more ; but even with tlic increased 

 circumspcetiun of that author, he has placed a 

 number under diflercnt names, which are identi- 

 cally the same fruit. Mr Loudon, in bi;j "descrip- 

 tive catalogue," enumerates fifty-six varieties, and 

 states that he could have extended the list to tri- 

 ])le that miinbcr, but uiuittended with sufficient 

 descriptive particulars to render it of real use. 

 The four last named authors of course refer to 

 grapes cultivated in ilritain. 



In the last iilition of the celebrated work of 

 Duhamel du Monceau, entitled "Traiti des Arbrcs 

 fruitiers. Art. Vigiie," we fnnl ninety-one varieties 

 cioetly described by name, and partial details 

 touching a nuDibcr of others. 



In the catalogue published by the London Hor- 

 ticultural Society, they enumerate one hundrsd 



and fifty-nini' varieties or dilfercnt names, princi- ' 

 pally those known in lirilish collections, and not , 

 including the French wine grapes to any extent ; ' 

 they mention in addition eight varieties of Aiiie- ' 

 rican grapes. That S?ociety has, as yet, favored 

 us with no descriptive catalogue of their several 

 merits, or with a final arrangement of their syno- 

 nym es. ; 

 On this, therefore, as on numerous other sub- ^ 

 jects, we must turn to France for a more perfect i 

 knowledge of its details. There we find that ma- 

 ny years since, the wisest maxims whicli time and 

 experience had approved, were consolidated in the | 

 works of the celebrated Rozicr on the culture of 

 the vine, and the art of making wine. The labors 

 of Dussieux and Latapie aided to render the 

 knowledge of the subject more complete, ami ' 

 each contributed his portion to the jierfection of 

 that culture which has enriched for centuries the , 

 domains of France. 



Much, however, as llozier and Latapie had la- 

 bored for the attainment of a perfect knowledge 

 of the different varieties of the grape, it was de- 

 stined for the celebrated Chajital, minister of the 

 interior, to form a collection, by the aid of the 

 French government, which should rival all others. 

 This famous chyinfct, during the consulship in 

 1801, obtained from every district of Fiance all ' 

 the known varieties, which were by his order con- 1 

 centrated in the Luxembourg garden, the object | 

 being, to assemble the various kinds in one spot, 

 in order to ascertain their qualities underthe same 

 circumstances, and to compare them at the same 

 time. This labor, bo arduous and so interesting 

 was continued by M. Champagny, his successor 

 aided by members of the Institute, who examuiei 

 some thousands of plants, and described five lam- 

 drcd and fifty varieties, one hundred of wliieii were 

 figured by Redout^. From accurate observatior. 

 of this immense variety of vines, the following 

 conclusions have been definitely formed. 



That there is no vineyard of any considerable 

 extent, which possesses varieties peculiarly adajit- 

 ed to itself alone, and that some of these varieties 

 could b&,inuch more advantageously cultivated in 

 other vineyards than those now found here. 



Also, that there are kinds whicli should be cul- 

 tivated in Paris, much in iireference to those exist- 

 ing there ; and they cite among these, six varie- 

 ties of muscat, superior in every point to those 

 coni'iion there ; one of which, the museat-noir- 

 du-Jiiia, is so early, that it may bo eattn the iiiid- 

 dle of August, and anotlier, le muscat do llongrie, 

 has berries twice the size of the common red 

 muscat. 



It was also ascertained that the order of matu- 

 rity varied in some degree, but the franc-piiieau 

 was found to be one of the most regular in this 

 respect. The morillons of Doubs and of Jura, 

 which ripen there in .\ugiist, arc reco'nrncnded 

 fiir northern vineyards in preference to he meu- 

 nier and mcslier, which are a month latei. 



It was ascertained that under the name of ga- 

 rnet, there were two varieties, one of whi-li pro- 

 duced bad wine, and the other excellent. The 

 only reason for plaining the inferior one is, m ac- 

 count of its abundant produce, but being much 

 eultivatcil in Iluigundy, it Iciuled to the deteriora- 

 tion of the wine; happily, however, in the course 

 i>f this investigation, it has been nsoertaiiieil t'lat 

 there arc at least fil'ty varieties of coloieil grapes 

 not known in the environn of Ueaiiiie, which iro 

 twice as productive, and which, from their swoet- 



ness and flavor, are cakuhited to yield wine \ 

 similar to that of the true pineau. 



It was to the distinguished and liberal Profe 

 Bosc, that was confided the duty of compa: t 

 and clasking the Luxembourg collection, 

 groundwork of the classification adopted by 

 Wiis the color, form and size of the fruit ; th' 

 face, margin, texture, color, and position ' 

 leaves ; and the redness, greenness, or vari. 

 of the footstalks. From a combination ol il 

 eleven characteristics, he formed one hundred |> 

 fifty-six classes, in which he stated might he pl« » 

 every ]iossible variety of the grape. Even ^ 

 highly intelligent professor found great ditlieu r: 

 in this task, arising from the innumerable varie n 

 possessing slight shades of difference in one j 

 or another, with which the whole terriior 

 France abounds. y 



In the year 1802, the catalogue of the Lu> », 

 bourg collection, presented two hundred and s . 

 seven sorts, arranged under the following he 

 Xo. 1, vines with black oval fruits, tliirty-s 

 sorts ; No. 2, black round fruits, ninety-eight s 

 Xo. 3, white oval fruits, forty-four sorts ; N 

 white round fruits, seventy-three sorts; N 

 gray or violet, oval fruits, five sorts ; No. 0, 

 or violet round fruits, ten sorts ; in all, two 

 dred and sixty-seven varieties, which was 

 wards increased to more than double that nun 



It must be a subject of great regret to e 

 lover of horticulture, that this noble establish; 

 has been abandoned and broken up by the Fr 

 government, as it ]>ossessed, when fo«tercd b; 

 tional power, a degree of permanency, scarce 

 be looked for in individual establishmcntf. 



A most elaborate descriptive list of the var 

 of the grape is contained in a Spanish work' 

 tied, " Ensayo sobre las variedadcs de la vid 

 mun, qui vcgctan en Andalusia, &.c." by 1). S 

 Roxas Clemeute, librarian to the Madrid Ik 

 Garden. This author founds his di.-iinctic 

 varieties on the character of the stem, »l 

 leaves, flowers, clusters and berries. lie dcs< 

 one hundred and twenty varieties, coraprisiiig 

 under two sections, llie downy and smooth le 



The most extensive catalogue of grapes a 

 sent cultivated in any one collection, in F"i 

 contains two hundred and seveiily-sevcn var 

 all |iroi)criy arranged as to color, form, \: 

 sides which, the same proprietor has many »l. 

 arc not yet .so regulated. Notwithstamling, L, 

 ever, all the exertions that have been mai!' ' 

 the studious application of many of the mi - 

 neiit French horticulturists to this iiitercsini , 

 ject, great uncertainty still exists in the noun 

 tiires of many varieties of the grape, nml id 

 observations already made, it was tbiind that 

 the same kind was called in different viiievar 

 six to ten names. This confiision in tl 

 clature they regulated as far as their expel ^. 

 periiiitled, by adopting the title of most gl 

 application, and arranging the other nam 

 synonymes. 



In my own obseriation I have frequently 

 great dillicuhy in attaining to rxactitinle i 

 .synonymy, and in some cases, have not yet 

 able to attain to satisfactory conclusion.*., 

 collection of vines, comprising above four hlf ^ 

 and fifty varietie.s, and which will be iiiorl , 

 detailed in the seipielof this work, under lb* ^ 

 of American vincyard.s, promises me great aid j 

 attainment of so dr.sirabic an object, audi ^ 

 year will shed new light on the various |i<4 -j.. 



