VINE. 



hills and rockS) which are fometimes fo fteep as even to bor- 

 der upon precipices ; and that vineyards thus fituated pro- 

 duce ^apes uncommonly rich, yielding wines of the moft 

 excellent quality. Confequently, from the hills which 

 border upon the Enghfh Channel having declivities which 

 tend towards the fouth, they would appear, it is thought, 

 to be highly proper for the growth of the vine. And 

 that the excavations in them, from which chalky ma- 

 terials have been taken, where they have a fouthern expo- 

 fure, would likewife feem well calculated to anfwer the fame 

 pnrpofe. 



In what refpefts the nature of the ground, it has been 

 obferved that the vine delights in fuch gravelly and rocky 

 foils as are frequently found on the fides of fteep hills and 

 rocks, and that it has fometimes been known to flourifli 

 among mere ftones and gravel. It grows mod favourably 

 in a light, dry, fandy, or gravelly foil, which is perfeftly 

 free from ftagnant moiilure : confequently it may be noticed, 

 that the introduftion of the vine into this country would 

 have no bad effifcl in refpeft to agriculture, as all ftrong 

 and deep lands, which are beft adapted for tillage, are the 

 moft unfuitable for the cultivation of the vine. 



But bcfides gentle declivities and light foils, vines, it 

 is faid, grow in fituations and foils where the land could 

 hardly be rendered profitable in any other way. And thus, 

 though vines would not grow robuft on the fteeps of poor, 

 gravelly, and rocky foils, ftill they would be more produc- 

 tive than when planted on rich lands, and the fruit be 

 greatly preferable. All fuch hills as have the above afpeft 

 or expofure, and are compofed of either flate, gravel, 

 icaly rock, or lime-ftone, are of courfe highly proper for 

 being planted upon. It is therefore evident, that there is a 

 confiderable portion of foil in the fouthern diftrifts of this 

 kingdom that is well adapted for the growth of vines. 



However, the fuccels of a vineyai-d in this country would, 

 it is thought, moft eflentially depend on the kinds of vines 

 •which are propagated and cultivated. It is believed that it 

 has been a prevaihng, though certainly an erroneous notion, 

 that the fweet early kinda of grapes are the beft to plant 

 for the purpofe of making wine in this country. And that 

 moft or all of the modern trials in this way have been made 

 from vines brought from France. It is not doubted by the 

 above writer, but that there are, among the abur.dant va- 

 riety of grapes, pecuhar forts, which aie by nature Angu- 

 larly fuited to make wines in different climates and fituations. 

 Thus the different forts of grapes propagated and grown in 

 the Madeira and Canary iflands, might not, it is thought, 

 be found, if tried, to make good wines in France. It is 

 hence concluded, that as the fouthern part of this ifland is 

 almoft on the verge of the vinous latitude, it ftiould feem 

 reafonable to fuppofe, that there would be the greateft pro- 

 bability of fuccefs from thofe kinds of grapes which have 

 been known to thrive and profper beft in the moft northern 

 latitudes. On this account, therefore, the kinds of vines 

 cultivated in Germany are recommended, and particularly 

 the fort producing the grapes of which the Rhenilh wine is 

 made, in preference to any kind cultivated in France. 



It is noticed above, that the early fweet kinds of grapes 

 are improper for making of wine in this country : the reafon 

 of which is this, it is fuppofed, that though fuch grapes 

 yield a fweet juice, it is not calculated to undergo fer- 

 lUentation in a proper manner. It is found by experience, 

 that good bodied, or generous wines, can be made from 

 grapes of an auftere tafte, and that too even before they are 

 quite arrived at a ftate of maturity. But then wine from 

 fuch crude grapes requires to be kept to a good age. The 

 cafe is fjniilar, it ia faid, in refped to apples. It is well 



known that the fweet kinds of them, wliich ripen in the 

 fummer months, are very unfit for making cyder. And 

 that the nobleft liquor of this fort, fuch as that of the ftyre 

 and cockagee, is made from apples not much better than 

 wildings. Mr. Loudon, however, remarks, in fpeaking of 

 the culture of the vine in other intentions, that the general 

 imperfedtion of Englifh grapes is their defect of facchai-ine 

 matter and want of fweetnefs. This is, perhaps, it is thought , 

 in part owing to the humidity of the atmofphere, more than 

 to its coldnefs, as very fweet grapes grow, and fpirituous 

 wines are made, in much colder and more northern latitudes 

 than a great part of England. Another reafon why the 

 fruit of Enghfti vines pofteffes confiderable acidity, is the 

 general tafte for large globular grapes, without regard fo 

 much to the delicacy of their flavour as the grandeur of 

 their appearance. Tliis fpecies of vine does not produce 

 delicious grapes in the hotteft climates, it is faid, and con- 

 fequently fhould not be fo generally cultivated in this. But 

 the appearance in this intention is of little importance. 

 The grapes moft abundant in faccharine matter, are, it- is 

 faid, always round, as thofe of the currant grape. It muft 

 be confcfTed, however, that the more expofed the vine is to 

 the intenfe meridian fun, fo much the fweeter will be the 

 grape, and the greater the quantity of faccharine or fpiri- 

 tuous juice that it will contain. 



The forts of vines moft fuitable for this purpofe may pro- 

 bably be, the chaffilas, or common white mufcadine, the 

 berries of which are not large, or very fweet. The morillon, 

 noir hatif, a good fort of grape in this intention, which 

 has a fmall round black berry, of a fugary juice, is much 

 efteemed, as being early, ripening in September. Tke Malm- 

 fey mufcadine, which fomewhat refembles thb above, the 

 juice of which is very fweet, and of a high flavour, is a 

 good bearer, and a fine grape. Tlie black fweet-watcr 

 has a fmall roundifti berry, of a fweet tafte ; but which, 

 being apt to crack, is not in much repute. Birds are fond 

 of it. It ripens in the fame month as the above. The fmall 

 black clufter, which has fmall oval berries, and the leaves 

 covered with a hoary down, is a very pleafant fruit. The 

 early white grape from Tenerifi"e ; the berries of which are 

 of a middhng fize, and the flefti remarkably fweet and 

 juicy : the Auverna, or true Burgundy grape, fometimes 

 called the black morillon, which is an indifferent fruit for 

 the table, but efteemed one of the beft for making wine 

 from : and the white fweet-water, which has a large berry 

 of a white colour, and very agreeable juice, is efteemed an 

 excellent grape, and ripens in the above month : — it is fup- 

 pofed that from fome of thefe, and perhaps a few others, 

 the cultivator may probably find a proper grape for culti- 

 vating in the intention of making wine in this country. 



In regard to the culture of the vine with this defign, as even 

 the moft fouthern parts of this ifland are but nearly on the 

 verge of the vinous latitude, as has been feen, every pofli- 

 ble advantage ftiould be confulted and had recourfe to in the 

 formation and management of vineyards. Thofe abroad, 

 it is faid, are formed by planting the vines in rows, and bv 

 training them in a perpendicular direftion. The firft of 

 the above writers would, however, in this country, greatly 

 prefer the mode of training the vines in a lateral or horizontal 

 form, fimilar to the method which is praftifed in Hol- 

 land with vines in frames. There would, it is thought, be 

 httle difficulty in this method, as the vines might readily be 

 trained along fmall poles, not thicker than thofe ufed for 

 hops ; thefe poles being fixed nearly parallel to the ground. 

 Vines thus trained, it is apprehended, would derive many 

 advantages, not only by means of warmth and ftielter, but 

 that they would moft eafily be protefted alfo from fpring- 



froils. 



