116 NOMENCLATURE OF GRAPES. 



native varieties of the same age. The fruit is of medium size, 

 black and of pleasant flavour, is suitable for the table, and 

 has also the qualities requisite for making good wine. It has 

 been called by some persons Black cluster, and being re- 

 ceived by me under that title, and finding it different from the 

 kind usually so called, I enumerated it in my last catalogue as 

 the " New black cluster." It is possible it may prove syno- 

 nymous with one of the dark varieties of Tokay, which will 

 be found under the head of wine grapes. 



PROBYN'S LARGE WHITE. PR. CAT. No. 11. 



Under this title I have in cultivation a variety which I re- 

 ceived from Edward Probyn, Esq. of New-York, in whose 

 garden is now growing a very large, flourishing, and produc- 

 tive vine, which affords annually numerous shouldered clusters 

 of excellent white fruit ; the berry is round and of large size ; 

 the skin firm, and the juice very sweet and delicate. Some 

 bunches have been exhibited by that gentleman, weighing 

 about 1 1 pounds. I do not mention it here from a considera- 

 tion that it is distinct from all others, but to show that it is not 

 the kind wbich it has been considered by several intelligent 

 horticulturists. By such it has been pronounced to be the 

 royal muscadine, from which I find it to differ in several 

 respects ; particularly in this, that it is one of those kinds most 

 sensible to early frosts, and to the severity of the winter in our 

 country exposures ; where, if unprotected at that season, the 

 young vines are killed to the ground, and older ones often much 

 injured ; whereas the royal muscadine is well known to be one 

 of those which best support the cold. It is doubtless a variety 

 introduced from the south of France, or some other southern 

 climate, or perhaps a seedling from some grape from that 

 quarter. Mr. Probyn states, that his vines support the severest 

 winters entirely uninjured, although he affords them no pro- 

 tection. But this is to be attributed to their being in a city 

 garden, where the great shelter and ameliorated atmosphere 

 consequent on such a congregated mass of dwellings, generally 

 cause the most tender southern varieties to succeed. 



