132 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Nov. 13, 1829. 



t Dili: 



[From Prince's Treatise on the Vine, now in press at 

 New York, and will bo pnblished in a few weeks. See 

 New England Karnier, vol. viii. page t'i ] 

 CIIAI'TER X. 



NOMK.N(I..\TL'RE OF GR.VPEii. 



Continued from page 125. 



CHASSELAS GRM-ES. 



The grapes of this class, arc among the moBt 

 esteemeil tabic fruits of France, they arc all of a 

 roiinil form, liut vary in tlii'otlier cliaractcristics. In 

 regard to ilic wbitc varieties, tliere has been much 

 difference of opinion, and I can truly say, I have 

 taken more i)ains to regulate the synoiiyma) of the 

 c;,'hassela.s grapr?, than of all others condiined, 

 and with far less satisfaction to myself; for the 

 European publications contain such a heteroge- 

 nous mass of contradictions, that no correct de- 

 cision could be formed from theni. 1 have in this, 

 therefore, as in similar cases, based my conclusions 

 Cri Duliamel, and one or two more principal works 

 of authority, however iiuicli others might ditfer 

 from them, and have thrown my own experience 

 into the scale. 



WHITE, OR GOLBE.V CHASSELAS. Pr. Cat. No. 66. 



V'itis acino medio, rotundn,eialhoJlave3C':nic. — Dun. 



/f/ii'/e C'hasseld.i. 



Golden do. 



C'ltasstlas, 



Chasselas dori \ Duhamel. 



Bar-sur-Jhibe, blanc. 



Chasselas, blanc. 



Cfiasselas croquanl, llaiil-lUiin. 



Chc^selas dur. 



Chass^ias dori de Funtainbleau, Beaunier. 



Bar-surnube, "i 



O'^rbois, iH D'.'lrboyce, > of Englisli authors. 



Royal Muscarine, ) 



This variety' .of the grape is considered the 

 chasselas, />ai" excellence of the French collections, 

 and is more extensively cultivated there than any 

 other variety, which has caused it to receive in 

 different localities, a great diversity of names. 

 The leaves arc of medium size, pretty deejily ser- 

 rated, and bordered with large, but not very acute 

 indentures. The clusters of fruit are generally 

 large and long, and the most part of them shoul- 

 dered. 



The berriesaru round, varying somewhat in size, 

 the medium ones are about eight lines in diameter, 

 and rather less in height. 



The skin is firm, but delicate, of a, light green, 

 which at perfect maturity takes a yellowish tint, 

 and on the sunny side becomes of an amber col- 

 or. The flesh is very melting, white, a little in- 

 clining to green, with abundant juice, which is ve- 

 ry sweet and agreeable. It has two to four seeils, 

 which are green, marked with gray, the shoots are 

 of a light yellow color, and stronger than those of 

 many other vincB. This is the most esteemed of 

 all the grapes cultivated in the climate of I'aris, 

 on account of its excellence and long continuance. 

 Its berries not being too closely set, it ripens the 

 more reailily. An exposition facing the dawn, the 

 mid-<1ay, or the setting sun, arc foimd equally suit- 

 able to it. At I'aris, and its vicinity, it is cultiva- 

 ted in the espalier form, and the best mode is 

 deemed that of training two main branches hori- 

 zontally in opposite directions, and to cause lh< 

 fruit to be produced from shoots which spring from 

 these two main branclu's. This course is adopted 

 at Thomery, where inimensu quantitiLH of tlii 

 fruit arc raised for the Taris market ; old as 



shall give the system there pursued, in detail, under 

 the head of culture, it is uimei^ssary to say more 

 here on the subject. Under the culture generally 

 adopted at Thomery, the fruit ripens from the 

 fifteenth to the end of September, but in open 

 culture it is about fifteen days later. In the vicinity 

 of New York, it is mature early in Septeinber.and 

 the clusters of fruit may be preserved until May. 

 In the department of. Jide, in France, it is found 

 to make very good wine, but it will not keep long. 

 The wine made from it near Paris, they say is ve- 

 ry weak and without body. 



It will be seen that I have placed the chas-selas 

 croijuant of Haut-Rhin, as a synonyme ; I how- 

 ever received it thence as a distinct variety, and it 

 is so placed by a horticulturist of great intelli- 

 gence, but who, 1 think, errs in this case. In 

 adopting it as a synonyme, 1 have followed the Die. 

 d'.\griciilturc, now deemed a standard work. In 

 Duhamel, and other standard French authors, and 

 white and the golden chasselas, are not jiut down 

 as distinct, and I have therefore considered them 

 as the same. 



Most of the French vines which have been sold 

 here, as the white and the golden chasselas, have 

 proved to be i<lentically our common white mus- 

 cadine, or early white sweet water. 



There is a sub-variety of this grape, called La 

 Blanquctte, or La Donne, common in the vineyards 

 of Gironde, Dordogne, and Chareiite, which is a 

 gooil eating fruit, but the wine is similar to that 

 made of this. I have seen at the grape houses at 

 Boston, apparently two varieties, varying consid- 

 erably in the size of the fruit : the larger distin- 

 guished by some as the royal muscadine, and by 

 others, considered synonymous with the smaller 

 one. It is possible, that culture and the lessening 

 the number of bunches, made the difference ; but 

 I am of opinion that they are distinct, and that 

 the larger is the kind just described, and the small- 

 er the early white muscadine; a point which may 

 be decided by close examination of the foliage. 

 Be this as it may, this is one of the very best grapes 

 for forcing in houses to supply our tables, and one 

 of the most easy to succeed with by open culture. 

 I also met with a variety at Charlestown, Mass. 

 called by its possessor golden chassclai^, whose 

 joints were much closer than the common sort, 

 ar 1 which made less wood ; in regard to this, 

 there could be no mistake, as the two kinds grew 

 near each other. This, as well as the others, I 

 have under culture in my experimental vincyanl. 

 This variety makes but little wood, and is there- 

 fore difficult to increase ; the berries are larger 

 than the common kind, of fine flavor and apjiear- 

 ancc, and are stated to ripen two weeks before 

 the other. It differs also from the common sort, 

 in having large and small berries on flie same 

 cluster, and a gentleman distinguished for his 

 knowledge on the subject, insists that it is the true 

 golden chasselas, of the old French authors, and 

 not at present readily obtained in France. Indeed 

 I have only met with this variety in two gardens in 

 our country. 



Some English authors mention the royal mus- 

 cadine, as producing bunches weighing six or seven 

 |iomi(ls ; but I must acknowledge, that 1 have ne- 

 ver seen any near that weight; in fiut, if the 

 bunches average one, to one and a ipinrler jiotiiuls, 

 they are considered of fair size, and from one and 

 a liiilf, to two pounds, is consiilered large ; and it 

 takes a very good sized cluster to be of the latter 

 weight. 



1^- 



MORMAI.t, BLASC. Duh. 



Mealier, and sometimes Metier. 

 Morna chasselas. 

 lilanc de BonneUt. 

 }t hile Mornain. 

 \ itis, tira longiori, acino rvfescenli el dulci. 



This grape greatly resembles the while chau » 

 las in the bulk and sha|)e of the bunch, and I 

 number of the berries, which are very round, i 

 crowded, and of a pale yellow color. They I 

 come of a russet line on the sunny side in I 

 same muinier, and the pulp is sweet, and of pli 

 sunt flavor. In fact, it is called the chasselas 

 some districts of France. It is not subject to I 

 blight or couture, and is found profitable to pli 

 as a wine grape, particularly in vineyards for wb 

 wines. It is also justly considered a fine early 

 ble grape, and rii»eiis well even in the Hortb 

 France. 



Duhamel states, that there is a marked dil 

 rcnce between it and the chasselas, particularly 

 the foliage ; the loaves are pale green on the s 

 tace, whitish, and slightly downy beneath, and i 

 divided into five pretty deeply divided lobes, wh 

 are very crenate. It ripens in .\ugust. 



It is my opinion that this grape now exists 

 different collections in this country, and in a uu 

 bcr in France, under the title of the true chas 

 las, and that it is from this cause so much con 

 sion exists as to a proper arrangement of the s 

 onyiues of these varieties. 



[To be continued.] 



Ir. 



\Vc give below an extract from Uie Journal of Health. .1 

 u.ible Journal, recently established at Philadelphia, whirh 

 tbiok, will be both arousing and instructive. 



Health was personified in the mythology of 

 ancients, by the goddess Ilygeia. With equal 

 ture and poetry, they indicated as her favo 

 abodes, spots most remarkable for sylvan beaut- 

 the mountain side, with its shady grove, or the 

 dulatioBS of hill and dale, with the clear ineanc 

 ing stream, while over the whole expanse, blew 

 light western and southern breeze. She recei 

 no sacrifices of blood, or oriental perfumes ; 

 altar was strewed w ith flow ers ; her festivals w 

 kept with the music of the shepherd's pipe, i 

 the dance of the rustic maidens. Temples w 

 erecteil to her in the cities ; but she was most 

 propriately invoked in the sports of the gymnuj^i 

 and palestra. Here the youth were trained to 

 durance of fatigue, and ac(iuired that strengll 

 body and contempt of danger, which made tli 

 the terror of their enemies. As at once rela\a; 

 from the severer exercises, and a means of r. 

 vating their vigor, they had frequent re<oiiis< 

 bathing. At Rome, the combatants in racine ; 

 wrestling, pitching the quoit, and throwing 

 javelin, while yet warm and panting, would plui 

 into the Tiber. To this the poet ofthe Seasons 

 ludes, when he says — 



-Hence Ihe limla 



Knit inio force j and the same Roman ann 

 'I'hal rose vicloriotis o'er the o^ni|uer'd earth, 

 First learned, while lender, lo kuIhIuc the wave.' 

 Hygoia is ever the companion of true libei 

 not less than of orderly habits and pure mon 

 The periods ofthe grcolcst degradation of the I 

 man species, from misrule and vice, have been 

 so tlio.io of the most ilcstniciivc pestilence ; n 

 hencp it has been truly said, that general heah 

 iiicon.sistent with oxlreiue servitude. The ■ 



