276 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



The grape has been cultivated from ancient times and is 

 believed by many to be our oldest fruit. Noah, good old man 



Fig. 48. The wild persimmon of the South. With attention it 

 might rival the grape in valuable varieties 



as he was, lost his head over the fruit of the vine,^ and he has 

 been followed by many less worthy successors. 



The Phoenicians are credited with the introduction of the 

 grape into Europe, where more than fifteen hundred varieties 



1 Genesis ix. 



