INTRODUCTION. 15 



and the symbol of happiness. The pages of Scripture 

 abound with allusions to the fertility of the. vine as 

 emblematical of prosperity ; and it is emphatically de- 

 clared, in describing the peaceful and flourishing state 

 of the kingdom of Israel during the reign of Solomon, 

 that '* Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under 

 his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer- 

 sheba." The source of enjoyment thus mentioned to 

 record the happy state of the Jewish nation, may be, 

 with reference to the vine, literally possessed by the 

 greater portion of the inhabitants of this island. 



The native country of the vine is generally consi- 

 dered to be Persia, but it has been found wild in Amer- 

 ica, and is now become naturalized in all the temperate 

 regions of the world. In the northern hemisphere, it 

 forms an important branch of rural economy, from the 

 21st to the 51st parallel of latitude; and by an im- 

 proved method of culture, very fine grapes may be 

 annually grown on the surface of walls, in the open 

 air, as far north as the 54th parallel, and even beyond 

 that in favourable seasons. 



The vine is supposed to have been introduced into 

 Britain at the commencement of the Christian era ; 

 and history amply proves, that for a long series of 

 ages, vineyards were very common in the southern 

 parts of that island, and that the quantity of wine pro- 

 duced from them was so great as to be considered one 

 of the staple products of the land. From some cause 

 or other, however, they have fallen into general ne- 

 glect, although good grapes might be grown on vines 

 trained as espaliers, or in the same manner as in the 

 vineyards abroad, from which excellent wine could be 

 made at a cost that would not exceed that of mode- 

 rately strong beer. Why vineyards should have so 

 completely disappeared, it is difficult to say, since there 

 are many thousands of acres of poor land that are of 



