XIV HISTOBY OF THE GRAPE VINE. 



versitj of Leyden, who have published their observations 

 on the present state of Asia Minor, it is mentioned that, 

 in the town called Sedonijah, which is four hours jour- 

 ney from Damascus, some of the grapes were as large as 

 pigeons' eggs, and of a very exquisite taste. From these 

 circumstances, we may fairly conclude that the vine is a 

 native of Syria. 



" Although wine is not made in Egypt, vines are 

 much cultivated, and the grapes have a delicious per- 

 fume. 



" Pliny concludes that the vine was very rare in Italy 

 in the time of Numa, and, to encourage the pruning of 

 vines, he prohibited the use of any wines, in sacrifices 

 to the gods, that were cut from vines which had not 

 been pruned. 



" It was not until about the year 2Y0, that the vine 

 was planted in the northern parts of Gaul, and about the 

 rivers Rhine, Maine, and Moselle, and in Hungary. 



" The various wines made from the grape are very nu- 

 merous. Pliny says, in his day there were eighty kinds 

 of the best. 



" The island of Madeira was planted with the vine, 

 from cuttings brought from Cyprus, in the year 1420, 

 when the island was first discovered. The Rhenish 

 vine has also been planted there. 



"The Cape of Good Hope has been planted with vines 

 from the Rhine, Persia, and -other countries. 



" The juice of the ripe grape (says Dr. Darwin) is a 



