HORTICULTURE. 



Fruit 

 Garden. 



Vine. 



White 

 grapes. 



125. Parkinson, in 1629, describes twenty-three kinds 

 of grape vines, several of which are still cultivated, and 

 in high esteem, such as the Muscadines, and the Fron- 

 tignacs. The following are the principal kinds which 

 are at this time cultivated in Britain ; those which suc- 

 ceed in the open air being distinguished by an aste- 

 risk. 



White Grapes. 



Fiuit 



(. ir.'.Lii. 



* White Muscadine, 



* White Sweetwater, 



* White Frontignac, 



* Malmsey Muscadine, 



* Royal Muscadine, 



White Muscat of Alex- 



andria, 



White Constantia, 

 White Hamburgh, 

 Tokay, 

 Greek Grape. 



Red Grapes. 



- Brick Grape, Red Hamburgh. 



Red Frontignac, 



Black Grapes. 



* Miller Grape, 



* Early July, 



* Black Sweetwater, 



* Small Black Cluster, 

 Large Black Cluster, 

 Black Muscadine, 



Black Frontignac, 



* Black Hamburgh, 

 Alicant, 



* St Peter's, 

 Claret. 



* Black Prince. 



The White Muscadine is very generally cultivated 

 against open walls in the southern parts of England ; 

 and, being an early grape, it ripens well. The berries 

 are roundish, thin skinned, and of an amber colour 

 when ripe ; at which time their juice becomes sweet, 

 and of delicate flavour. The bunches are small, but 

 many are produced. Forsyth says, that it is the best 

 vine we have for a common wall, and a great bearer ; 

 and Speedily remarks, that it is often cut and eaten 

 before it be fully ripe, but that, when well matured, it 

 is an exceedingly fine grape. 



The While Sweftivater is likewise an excellent early 

 grape, much cultivated in the open air. The berries 

 are round, not of equal size, some being as large as 

 cherries, while others remain nearly as small as mus- 

 tard seeds ; they are thin skinned, and full of juice, 

 which is sugary, but not vinous. When nearly ripe, 

 they become of an amber colour ; when clouded with 

 russet, they are in perfection. Nicol remarks, that this 

 grape, like the former, is often cut before it be fully ripe, 

 and that this has occasioned it to be less in repute than 

 it deserves. The shoots are thick and strong, but not 

 long ; the leaves very large. 



The White Ftontignac vine is a copious bearer. The 

 berries are round, and of a good size, closely clustered 

 on a long bunch somewhat shouldered. When ripe 

 they are excellent ; and remarkable for uniting the 

 qualities of being fleshy, and having a sweet juice and 

 perfumed flavour, not so powerful, however, as that 

 of the black and red varieties, the last of which has a 

 very strong musky flavour. The ripe berries have a 

 fine white bloom or farina on them, from whence the 

 name is given. It has a place in the vinery, and is 

 also trained against open walls. 



The Malmsey Muscadine grape has a sweet juice, and 



high flavour, and the vine is a good bearer. It is com- 

 monly planted in the vinery, but succeeds also against 

 the open wall. 



The Royal Muscadine, or White Chasselas, the d'Ar- white 

 boyse of Speedily and Forsyth, is an excellent grape grupes. 

 for the vinery or the hot-house ; the bunches large and 

 shouldered ; berries round, and amber-coloured when 

 ripe ; the juice rich and vinous. The vine generally 

 grows remarkably gross and strong, both in wood and 

 foliage. 



The White Muscat of Alexandria, or Alexandrian 

 frontignac, has large oval berries, which hang loose in 

 the bunches, these being long, and not shouldered ; 

 when ripe the berries are amber-coloured ; and the 

 juice is then rich and racy ; the skins are thick, and the 

 pulp hard, but of a highly musky flavour. It is fit only 

 for the grape-house or pine- stove. 



The White Constantia berries are tolerably large, ra- 

 ther of an oval shape, of a sweet taste, with only a 

 slight flavour. The bunch is of considerable size, and 

 well formed. This is the kind which has acquired 

 fame at the Cape of Good Hope. It is said to degene- 

 rate when transplanted. At Constantia farm it grows 

 in a light sandy loam ; the situation is low, but more 

 elevated than other parts of the district. There is 

 likewise a red Constantia ; and a black Constantia ap- 

 pears in some catalogues ; but this last has proved to 

 be the same as the black frontignac. * 



The White Hamburgh, or Portugal grape, grows in 

 large long bunches ; the berries are oval, pale white, 

 with a thick skin, and firm pulpy flesh. The vine is a 

 plentiful bearer, and grows very strong both in wood 

 and leaves. It much resembles the Syrian. 



The Tokay, when well managed, produces both large 

 bunches and large berries, and becomes one of the finest 

 grapes in the vinery. The berries are white, oval- 

 shaped, skin thin, pulp delicate, and of agreeable fla- 

 vour. The leaves on the under side are covered with 

 a fine soft down like satin. It should be placed in the 

 warmest end of the vinery, and is well suited for the 

 pine-stove. 



The Greek grape is a high-flavoured and delicate 

 fruit. The berries are of moderate size, somewhat oval, 

 bluish white; growing close, in middling sized bunches. 

 The leaves of the tree resemble those of the sweetwater, 

 but stand on shorter footstalks ; it is a plentiful bearer 

 either in the vinery or hot-house. 



The Brick grape gets its name from the berries being Red 

 of a pale red or brick colour ; they are thin skinned, 

 with a sweet juice. The bunches are small, but two or 

 three often proceed from the same shoot, so that the 

 vine is, upon the whole, a plentiful bearer. It succeeds 

 on walls and treillages, and is hardly deserving of a 

 place in the vinery. 



The Red Frontignac is an excellent musky flavoured 

 grape, when fully ripe, of a brownish red colour. The 

 juice of this, says Miller, has the most vinous flavour of 

 all the sorts, and is greatly esteemed in France. It is 

 well calculated for the vinery. 



What is called the Grizzly Frontignac seems to be 

 only the red in an unripe state, at which time the ber- 

 ries are greyish-coloured, with a few dark stripes. 



The Red Hamburgh, or Gibraltar grape, grows in 

 large bunches ; the berries somewhat oval shaped, of 

 considerable size, thin skinned, red when ripe, juicy, 



* A small quantity of wine was sent come years ago from Portugal to a mercantile house in Leith as a present, which was made 

 from the Constuntia grape grown in Portugal. It was a white wine, extremely sweet, but the flavour not particularly good, altoge- 

 ther quite different from the Cape Constantia wine. 



