49 



Vine Order {AmjMideae), of which the Grape- Vine CASE 

 (Viiis viniferay L.), the most important plant of the 2Q. 

 order, may be taken as the type. They are all climbing, 

 jointed shrubs, often with abortive flower-branches serving 

 as tendrils to lay hold of their support. They are chiefly 

 East Indian. The Grape-Vine now cultivated so exten- 

 sively in France, Germany, South Europe, the Atlantic 

 Islands, the United States, the Cape, &c., was very probably 

 native originally of Western Asia, and to the south of the 

 Caspian. From its innumerable varieties, affected by 

 different climates and soils, we have, besides grapes 

 yielding the various wines of commerce, other sorts which 

 are dried, forming the Valencia, Muscatel, and Sultana 

 (without seeds, from Turkey) Raisins ; also Currants, the 

 dried fruit of a small-fruited variety of the Grape-Vine 

 (F. tvn//era, var. corinthiaca)^ cultivated in the Ionian 

 Islands, Greece, Lipari, &c. These are quite distinct from 

 any species of Ribes, the currant of our gardens, to which 

 they are not botanically related. 



Nearly 12,000,000 gallons of Wine were entered for 

 home consumption in 1905, 5,713,393 gallons of which 

 were imported from Spain and Portugal. 



Of Raisins 687,162 cwts., and of Currants 1,078,069 cwts., 

 were entered for home consumption in the same year. 



Grape seeds contain about 18 per cent, of oil, which is 

 extracted for illuminating purposes in Italy, Greece and 

 the Levant. 



Amongst other , products of the grape exhibited are 

 Argol from Greece, deposited on the sides of wine vats,, 

 and containing 50 to 70 per cent, of Tartaric Acid. 

 Wine Lees from Greece, containing about 30 per cent, of 

 Tartaric Acid. TARTAR from St. Antimo, Italy, prepared 

 from Lees or Argol, and containing 65 to 77 per cent, of 

 Tartaric i^cid. Also crude Tartrate op Lime, and a 

 very fine specimen of crystallised TARTARIC ACID. 

 Specimens are also exhibited of Yeso, a kind of plaster^ 

 from Port St. Mary, Cadiz Bay, used in Spain to sprinkle 

 on the grapes before being pressed. SPANISH Earth, 

 used likewise in Spain, and to a small extent in 

 England, for fining wine. Grape SUGAR, which is 

 less sweet than cane, and is not so readily dissolved 

 in water. 



25782 D 



