THE GRAPE. 



C. C. M, 



THE name grape is from the 

 French grappe, a bunch of 

 grapes; from the same root as 

 gripe or grab, to grasp. It is 

 one of the most valuable fruits, not 

 only because of its use in the manufac- 

 ture of wine, and is the source also 

 from which brandy, vinegar, and tar- 

 taric acid are obtained, but because, 

 both in a fresh and dried state, it forms 

 not a mere article of luxury, but a 

 great part of the food of the inhabi- 

 tants of some countries. 



The cultivation of the vine was in- 

 troduced into England by the Romans, 

 and of late years its cultivation has 

 much increased in gardens, on the walls 

 of suburban villas and of cottages, but 

 chiefly for the sake of the fresh fruit, 

 although wine is also made in small 

 quantities for domestic use. 



The first attempt at the culture of 

 the vine in the United States for wine- 

 making was in Florida in 1564; and an 

 other was made by the British colonist 

 in 1620. In Delaware wine was made 

 from native grapes as early as 1648. 

 In 1683 William Penn engaged in the 

 cultivation of the vine near Philadel- 

 phia, but with only partial success. In 

 1825 the Catawba vine, a native of 

 North Carolina, came into prominence; 

 and it was afterward cultivated exten- 

 sively near Cincinnati by Nicholas 

 Longworth, who has been called the 

 father of this culture in the United 

 States. In 1858 the entire production 

 of Catawba wine in Ohio amounted to 

 400,000 gallons. In the states east of 



About 250 years ago Dr. Power at- 

 tributed the fly's locomotive power to 

 "a furry kind of substance like little 

 sponges with which she hath lined the 

 soles of her feet, which substance is 

 also repleated with a whitish viscous 

 liquor, which she can at pleasure 

 squeeze out, and so sodder and be- 

 glue herself to the place she walks on, 

 which otherwise her gravity would hin- 

 der, especially when she walks in those 

 inverted positions." Scientific men 



the Rocky mountains the greatest ex- 

 tent of territority in vineyards occurs 

 in Ohio, New York, Missouri, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, but 

 at present they exist in nearly every 

 state in the Union. Of all of the states, 

 however, California is the most im- 

 portant for vine-growing. The vine- 

 yards were first cultivated there during 

 the middle of the last century, the first 

 grape planted being the Los Angeles, 

 which was the only one grown till 

 1820. 



The cultivation of the vine varies 

 much in different countries. In the vin- 

 eries of Britain the vines are carefully 

 trained in various ways so as most com- 

 pletely to cover the walls and trellises 

 and to turn the whole available space 

 to the utmost account. The luxuriant 

 growth of the plant renders the fre- 

 quent application of the pruning-knife 

 necessary during the summer. The 

 bunches of grapes are generally thinned 

 out with great care, in order that finer 

 fruit may be produced. By such means, 

 and the aid of artificial heat, grapes 

 are produced equal to those of the 

 most favored climates, and the vine 

 attains to a large size and a great age. 

 The famous vine at Hampton Court 

 has a stem more than a foot in circum- 

 ference, one branch measuring one hun- 

 dred and fourteen feet in length, and 

 has produced in one season two thou- 

 sand two hundred bunches of grapes, 

 weighing on an average one pound 

 each, or in all about a ton. 



refused to to believe this explanation, 

 and taught that the bottom of a fly's 

 foot resembled the leather sucker used 

 by boys to lift stones, and that this 

 formation enabled it to move back 

 downwards. However it has been 

 proved that Dr. Power was right in 

 every point but the sticky nature of 

 the liquid that exudes from the fly's 

 foot. This substance is not sticky, and 

 the attachment which it causes is 

 brought about by capillary attraction. 



179 



