NOMENCLATURE OP GRAPES, 175 



CATAWBA, PR. CAT. No. 377. 



Catawba tokay. Tokay. 



Muncy, pale red ? Red muncy ? 



Vitis Utbrusca, v. Catawba. PRINCE, 



This is a large grape, of a lilac colour, and in some situa- 

 tions, covered with a beautiful bloom, giving to it a blueish 

 purple appearance. The berries have a slight musky taste, 

 and delicate flavour ; hang loosely on the bunches, which are of 

 good size ; and, in fact, they are beautiful to the eye, very 

 abundant bearers, make an excellent wine, and are tolerable 

 for the table. The pulp diminishes and almost disappears when 

 they are left on the vine until they attain to perfect maturity. 



The colour of the fruit is much varied according to its rela- 

 tive exposition; such as is fully exposed to the sun's rays is pur- 

 ple, that but partially exposed is of a lilac hue, and those clus- 

 ters that are completely obscured and shaded, are nearly white 

 and the berries almost transparent; even in this latter position, 

 where of course, the maturation is retarded, the fruit is sweet, 

 but is devoid of that musky flavour which is acquired by that 

 portion fully exposed to the sun and heat, ft is earlier in 

 ripening than the Bland, and the berries and clusters are of 

 equal and often rather larger size. 



Although this grape is said to be from the river Catawba, 

 still there is much uncertainty on that point, as I am informed 

 by Thomas M'Call, Esq. of Georgia, a gentleman now far 

 advanced in years, that, in his boyhood he knew the Catawba 

 from its source, to where it loses its name in that of the Wa- 

 teree, and that no such grape was known there. Mr. Adlum 

 states, that he procured it from the garden of Mrs. Schell, at 

 Clarksburg, Montgomery county, Maryland, and that the 

 family informed him it was called by this name by the late 

 Mr. S. but they knew not whence he procured it. The vine 

 in Mrs. S.'s garden has produced in one season, about eight 

 bushels of grapes ; and eleven vines belonging to Joshua John- 



