GRAPE-VINE. 199 



The fruiterers of London have a considerable trade in 

 preserved grapes, which are principally brought from 

 Portugal in large earthen jars, closely cemented down : 

 these grapes add considerably to the luxury of our winter 

 desserts, as they are sold at moderate prices for so rare a 

 fruit. 



This art of preserving grapes was well known to the 

 Romans. Columella gives a particular account of the 

 manner in which they were preserved, both in his time, 

 and in the time of his uncle Marcus Columella. He re- 

 commends them to be put into small jars that will only 

 contain one bunch, and, that the fruit should be gathered 

 quite dry, when the sun is on it, and after being cooled 

 in the shade, to be suspended in the jars, and, the vacua 

 to be filled up with oat chaff, after all the dust has been 

 blown from it. The jars must be well baked or burned, 

 and not such as imbibe moisture : the tops of the jars 

 must be covered over, and pitched, to keep out the air. 



The process of drying grapes into raisins is usually 

 performed by tying two or three bunches together before 

 they are cut from the vine, and dipping them into a hot 

 lixivium of wood-ashes, with a little olive oil in it : they 

 then shrivel, and partly dry ; and in a few days they are 

 cut from the vine, and dried in the sun. We procure the 

 finest raisins from Damascus. Sun raisins are brought 

 from Spain, and are so called to distinguish them from 

 those that are scalded, or dried, in ovens-. Large quan- 

 tities are also imported from Malaga, Calabria, Musca- 

 dine, Smyrna, &c. 



The vinous latitude is said to extend between the 25th 

 and 51st degree in the northern hemisphere. 



It has been observed, that all the vineyards in Ger- 

 many, beyond the 51st degree, are dubious. This leaves 

 the southern coast of England within the latitude for 

 vines ; and we have often been surprised that the culture 



