IN BXTEA-TROPIOAL COBNTKIES. 349 



evergreen ; but in regard to their elevation above the ocean 

 and to the nature o£ their fruits we are almost utterly without 

 data. 



Vitis Labrusca, LinmST* 



The Isabella Grape. North America, from Canada to Texas 

 and Florida, also in Japan. The Schuylkill Grape is derived 

 from this species. A pale-fruited variety furnishes the Bland's 

 Grape ; another yields the American Alexander Grape. The 

 berries are large among American kinds, and are of pleasant 

 taste. Flowers fragrant. This and the other hardy North 

 American Vines seem never to be attacked by the Oidium 



Vitis Schimperiana, Hoehstetter. 



From Abyssinia to Guinea. This Vine may become perhaps 

 valuable with many other Central African kinds for tropical 

 culture, and may show itself hardy also in extra-tropical coun- 

 tries. Barter compares the edible berries to clusters of 

 Frontignac grape. 



Vitis vinifera, Linne.* The following notes were written for 

 the original Victorian edition and are here only reproduced : — 



The Grape Vine. Turkey, Persia, Tartary ; probably also in 

 the Himalayas and Greece. This is not the place to discuss 

 at length the great industrial questions concerning this highly 

 important plant, even had these not already engaged since 

 many years the attention of a large number of our colonists. 

 The whole territory of Victoria stretches essentially through 

 the Vine zone, and thus most kinds of Vine can be produced 

 here, either on the lowlands or the less elevated mountains 

 in various climatic regions and in different geologic forma- 

 tions. 



The Corinthian variety, producing the Currants of commerce, 

 thrives also well in some districts, where with Raisins its fruit 

 may become a staple article of our exports beyond home con- 

 sumptioii. The Sultana variety is not much pruned; the 

 bunches when gathered are dipped in an alkaline liquid ob- 

 tained from wood-ashes, to which a little olive oil is added, to 

 expedite drying, which is efEeeted in about a week (G. Maw). 

 The produce of Sultana raisins fluctuates from 7 to 30 cwt. 

 per acre. The plant is best reared in the limestone formation. 

 Dr. W. Hamm, of Vienna, has recently issued a Vine map of 

 Europe, indicating the distribution of the different varieties 

 and the principal sources of the various sorts of wine. The 

 writer would now merely add that the preservation of the 



