THE GRAPE-VINE 221 



prove that the origin of viticulture itself is traceable to Indo-Europeans. 

 The Semitic origin seems to me to be more probable. The Chinese 

 received the grape-vine in late historical times from Fergana, an Iranian 

 country, as a cultivation entirely unknown in previous epochs; and 

 it is therefore sufficient for our purpose to emphasize the fact that 

 vine-culture in its entire range was at that time firmly established in 

 Western Asia, inclusive of Iran. 



The first knowledge of the cultivated vine (Vitis vim/era) and of wine 

 produced from its grapes was likewise obtained by the Chinese through 

 the memorable mission of General Can K'ien, when in 128 B.C. he 

 travelled through Fergana and Sogdiana on his way to the Yue-i 

 and spent a year in Bactria. As to the people of Fergana (Ta-yuan) , 

 he reported, "They have wine made of grapes." The same fact he 

 learned regarding the Parthians (An-si). It is further stated in the 

 same chapter of the Si ki that the wealthy among the people of Fergana 

 stored grape- wine in large quantity up to ten thousand gallons (U, a 

 dry measure) for a long time, keeping it for several decades without 

 risk of deterioration; they were fond of drinking wine in the same 

 manner as their horses relished alfalfa. The Chinese envoys took the 

 seeds of both plants along to their country, and the Son of Heaven was 

 the first to plant alfalfa and the vine in fertile soil; and when envoys 

 from abroad arrived at the Court, they beheld extensive cultivations of 

 these plants not far from the imperial palace. The introduction of the vine 

 is as well authenticated as that of alfalfa. The main point to be noted 

 is that the grape, in like manner as alfalfa, and the art of making wine, 

 were encountered by the Chinese strictly among peoples of Aryan 

 descent, principally of the Iranian family, not, however, among any 

 Turkish tribes. 



According to the Han Annals, the kingdom Li-yi IS ~^, which 

 depended on Sogdiana, produced grapes; and, as the water of that 

 country is excellent, its wine had a particular reputation. 2 



K'aii (Sogdiana) is credited with grapes in the Annals of the Tsin 

 Dynasty. 3 Also grape-wine was abundant there, and the rich kept up to 

 a thousand gallons of it. 4 The Sogdians relished wine, and were fond of 

 songs and dances. 5 Likewise in Si (Tashkend) it was a favorite bever- 



1 This is also the conclusion of J. HOOPS (Waldbaume und Kulturpflanzen, 

 p. 561). 



2 Hou Han Su, Ch. 118, p. 6 (cf. CHAVANNES, T'oung Pao, 1907, p. 195). 

 8 Tsin $u, Ch. 97, p. 6 b (ibid., p. 6: grape- wine in Ta-yuan or Fergana). 

 4 Sui $u, Ch. 83, p. 4 b. 



6 T'an Su, Ch. 221 B, p. I. 



