The Natural System of Botany. 239 



from the earliest period. It spread, with the progress of civili- 

 sation, from its habitation in Asia, to Greece, Sicily and Italy, 

 and thence to Portugal, Spain and France. « The culture of the 

 vine as an article of husbandry, extends over a zone extend- 

 ing from about the twenty-first to the fiftieth degree of North 

 latitude, and consequently about two thousand miles in breadth, 

 reaching in length from the western shores of Portugal to the 

 north of India. The best wines are made at about the centre 

 of the zone; those of the north being harsh and austere, while 

 the juice of the grapes of the south too soon passes into the 

 acetous fermentation, so that they are better adapted for being 

 dried as raisins. Hence, in Spain and Greece, the vineyards 

 of the higher grounds produce the best wines ; while those 

 upon the low, hot shores, have always to be dried. On the 

 other hand, in Madeira and the neighboring islands, in which 

 the near proximity of the sea on every side tends to prevent 

 intense heat, some of the most highly prized wines are pro- 

 duced, although they are much nearer the southern border of 

 the zone." " A vineyard, associated as it is with all our ideas 

 of beauty and plenty, is, in general, a disappointing object. In 

 France, the vines are trained upon poles, seldom more than 

 three or four feet in height. In Spain, poles for supporting the 

 vines are not used, but cuttings are planted, which are not per- 

 mitted to grow very high, but gradually form thick and stout 

 stocks. In Switzerland and in the German Provinces the 

 vineyards are as formal as those of France. But in Italy is 

 the true vine of poetry, surrounding the stone cottage with its 

 girdle, flinging its pliant and luxuriant branches over the rustic 

 verandah, and twining its long garland from tree to tree. It 

 was the luxuriance and beauty of her vines and olives that 

 tempted the rude people of the North to pour down upon her 

 fertile fields. In Greece, too, as well as in Italy, the shoots of 

 die vines are either trained upon trees, or supported, so as to 

 display all their luxuriance, upon a series of props. This was 

 die custom of the ancient vine-growers, and their descendants 

 have preserved it in all its picturesque originality. The vine- 

 dressers of Persia train their vines to run up a wall, and curl 

 over the top. But the most luxurious cultivation of the vine in 

 hot countries, is where it covers the trellis work which sur- 



