IS OFE27 Alii GliAPE CULTUHE. 



Achilles represented a vine-gatliering, aud Herodotus 

 and Tlieoplirastiis speak of the culture of the vine in 

 Egypt; and on the verj oldest Greek tombs are 

 found pictures representing the vine harvest. Plinj 

 enters fullj into the natural history oi the vice, and 

 describes a variety ^-ith berries shaped like llie 

 finger,"'^ while the second book of Yirgil's Georgics 

 forms no mean treatise on practical viticulture. 



The generic name of the vine {vitis) is derived, ac- 

 cording to some authors, fiom the Latin mncire to 

 bind ; according to others it comes from mere^ to bend, 

 alluding to the flexibility of its branches. Both these 



* Most of the autbors who iiave noticed this variety, suppose it to 

 have been lost, but we have received from John Kolber, Esq., of New 

 York, slips of a vine imported by him from Hungary, the fruit of 

 which Is described as being an inch and a half long and half au ir^jh 

 in diameter — a form wliich might easily be described by an imagina- 

 tive writer as rt-f^tmbliug a finger. In fact the native name is Ktckis^ 

 csocs or Goals U<i{s — an idea similar to that of the old philosopher, 

 thougl) not q-.iite so elegant. We find al^o in several catalogues 

 grajjcs called ijnger-grapes — synonyms of which are Cornichon Blanc, 

 Cucumber Giape, J3ec u'Oiseau (Bird's beak), Teta de Vacca (Cow's 

 ttats), Doigts Donzelle, etc., etc, Mr. Kolber has made earnest and 

 praiseworthy efforts to introduce the hardier varieties of the vine from 

 the hills of Hungary, and we are happy to learn that thus far, the 

 results are exceedingly promising. It will take several years, however, 

 to decide whether or not any foreign variety can be grown with 

 success in this country, as most imported plants do well for a few 

 years. 



