98 NOMENCLATURE OF GRAPES. 



fruit, which is truly of that character, when compared with the 

 other parts of the plant. The trunk or body becomes, per- 

 haps, the largest of all the varieties of vines. It advances in 

 size and extent doubly what other kinds do in the same period. 

 Duhamel mentions the body of a vine of twenty-five years oi 

 age, which was thirty-three inches in circumference, at the 

 height of a man's head. This speedy development in its dimen- 

 sions, is the result, without doubt, of the little exhaustion occa- 

 sioned in the production of abortive fruit of not more than a 

 quarter of the natural size. There are several other varieties 

 whose merits are yet little known, but the most of which are in 

 my vineyard, among them is the blue corinth, or Corinthe 

 violet, whose fruit is also seedless and larger than the white ; 

 it is very subject to bleed, and the fruit rots so rapidly in the 

 north-eastern departments of France, that they have given it 

 the title of Passe, or Passeritte. There is also the Red 

 corinth, which is much liked, and the Gros corinthe with seeds, 

 besides which, there is a large seedless variety, said to bear 

 more resemblance to the chasselas grape, and to be a sub- 

 variety of it with smaller fruit, possessing less sweetness. 



I have not put down the Smyrna raisin as a synonyme, in 

 accordance with some English authors, because the two grapes 

 are perfectly distinct, and in truth, it would require a. grape of 

 twice the size of this to make a Smyrna raisin ; the latter has 

 also the semblance of seeds, whereas the white corinth has not 

 in general a vestige of the kind. 



BLACK CORINTH. 



Currant grape. 



Zante. 



Black Ascalon. 



L am not aware that this differs from the Corinthe violet 

 already referred to. It is described as having a small roundish 

 berry, generally without a stone, of a deep black colour, and 

 closely set on small short bunches. The juice is sugary, and 



