300 THE GRAPE. 



Greece and Sicily, and gradually to Italy, Spain, France, and 

 Britain, to which latter country the Romans carried it about two 

 hundred years after Christ. To America the seeds and plants 

 of the European varieties were brought by numerous emigrants 

 and colonists within the first fifty years after its settlement. 



The wild grapes of our own country are quite distinct species 

 from the wine grape of Europe — are usually stronger in their 

 growth, with larger and more entire foliage, and, in their native 

 state, with a peculiar foxy odour or flavour, and more or less 

 hardness of pulp. These traits, however, disappear in process 

 of cultivation, and we have reason to hope that we shall soon 

 obtain, from the wild type, new varieties of high quality, and of 

 superior hardiness and productiveness in this climate. 



The grape vine is in all cases a trailing or climbing deciduous 

 shrub, living to a great age,* and, in its native forests, clamber- 

 ing over the tops of the tallest trees. In the deep rich alluvial 

 soils of w^estern America, it is often seen attaining a truly pro- 

 digious size, and several have been measured on the banks of 

 the Ohio, the stems of which were three feet in circumference, 

 and the branches two hundred feet long, enwreathing and fes- 

 tooning the tops of huge poplars and sycamores. In a cultivated 

 state, however, it is found that fine flavour, and uniform pro- 

 ductiveness, require the plants to be kept pruned within a small 

 compass. 



Uses. The grape in its finest varieties, as the Hamburgh 

 and the Muscat, is in flavour hardly surpassed by any other fruit 

 in delicacy and richness, and few or none are more beautiful in 

 the dessert. Dried, it forms the raisin of commerce, the most 

 excellent of all dried fruits, every where esteemed. And wine, 

 the fermented juice, has always been the first of all exhilarating 

 liquors. Some idea of the past consumption of this product 

 may be formed from the fact that more than 500,000,000 impe- 

 rial gallons have been made in France, in a single year ; and as 

 a data to judge of its value, we may add, that, while a great 

 proportion of the vin ordinaire, or common wine, is sold at 10 

 or 12 cents a bottle; on the other hand, particular old and rare 

 vintages of Madeiras or Sherries will not unfrequently command 

 twenty or thirty dollars a gallon. 



Soil. The universal experience in all countries has established 

 the fact that a dry and warm soil is the very best for the vine. 

 Where vineyards are cultivated, a limestone soil, or one com- 

 posed of decaying calcareous rocks, is by far the best; but 

 where, as in most gardens, the vine is raised solely for its fruit, 

 the soil should be highly enriched. The foreign grape will 

 scarcely thrive well here on a heavy soil, though our native 



* Pliny gives ai account of a vine six hundred years old, and there are 

 said to be vines ii Burgundy more than four liundred yearn old. 



