THE VINE AND CIVILISATION. 61 
a thousand miles distant across the pampas. The wine is con- 
veyed in small barrels slung on each side of a mule. Sweet 
wine is also made at Mendoza, resembling Malaga, for which 
end they suspend the grapes for some time in bunches to 
mature, after they are taken from the vine. On approaching 
Mendoza fields of clover and vineyards greet the eye on every 
side, and the gardens of the city are filled with the best Mus- 
cadine grapes in the world, as for size and flavour. Both red 
and white wines are made, the latter bearing in the United 
States the price of Madeira. Brandy is also distilled from 
these wines. 
Peru affords delicious grapes, and those produced near 
Lima are in demand for eating. The soils of Peru are stony, 
and sandy, or consist of small flints and pebbles, and covered 
by not more than eighteen inches of earth ; the land may there- 
fore be considered very congenial to vine culture. The olive 
also flourishes here in whole forests, and grows finer than in 
any other country. 
Chili produces better fruit for wine than Peru, but pur- 
chasers being wanting, the vine grounds lie neglected. The 
red grape is most cultivated, and is remarkable for richness 
and flavour. The Muscadine exceeds that of Spain, as well in 
the fruit as in the wine produced. The vines are grown on 
espaliers, and nothing can exceed the beauty of the clusters 
of the Chilian grapes. Brazils and other parts of tropical 
America are outside the limits of the vine producing latitudes. 
NORTH AMERICA. 
Mexico, where the small wild grape is indigenous, the Span- 
iards introduced the wine-bearing vine (vitis vinifera) of 
Europe as early as 1572. The northern part of Mexico, com- 
