NATDEAL AND CIVIL HISTORY OF THE VINE. 19 



Latin Avt>rds, however, are derived from a Greek word 

 signifying to bind. Dr. Whittaker, in a work published 

 in 1638, entitled, "The Tree of Human Life, or the 

 Blood of the Grape," expresses his opinion that the 

 name vinum is derived a vi from its strength, or, per- 

 haps quasi dimnum^ because it is a species of the tree 

 of life in Paradise. 



The species of the genus vitis are numerous, though 

 botanists are not agreed as to the distinctive differ- 

 ences, especially as between the European and Ameri- 

 can sorts. In France, Chaptal, when Minister of the 

 Literior, caused 1,400 different varieties of the vine to 

 be collected in the garden of the Luxembourg, and 

 under his direction M. Champagny described as dis- 

 tinct 550 diff'erent kinds. Four American species 

 have been usually numbered (some authors describe 

 eight), though the varieties, more or less distinctly 

 marked, probably exceed 300. To the number of the 

 latter, however, there is no limit, as every seed may 

 produce a new variety. 



The vine lives to a great age and attains' a great 

 size. Pliny mentions a vine which had lived for 600 

 years, and in Italy, vineyards have continued in 

 bearing for 300 years, while in some parts of that ^ 

 country, a vineyard of 100 years is still accounted 

 young. 



Its size, whethei' we regard the European or Ame- 



