430 DICTIOKARY OF POPULAR KAMES VINE 



France, Portugal, and Spain, from whence the chief supplies 

 come to this country. Wine is now also made in South 

 Africa, the Australian Colonies, and in California. The different 

 qualities are due to the differences of soil, climate, the various 

 kinds of grape, and mode of manufacture. It is extensively 

 grown in hothouses in this country ; many fine varieties have 

 been obtained by cultivation, and bunches have lately been 

 produced in Scotland weighing 25 or 26 lbs. each. The 

 weight of these bunches seems to explain the passage in the 

 Bible, of the spies carrying the bunch of grapes on a 

 staff between two. In 1846-4*7 grapes in the hothouses in 

 this country, and ultimately throughout the wine countries of 

 Europe, were attacked by a mildew fungus, Oidmm ttccJceri, 

 which in some cases completely destroyed the crops. This in a 

 few years disappeared ; but a more formidable enemy has taken 

 its place, in the form of a small insect, Phylloxera vastatriXj 

 which breeds and lives on the roots of the vine to such an 

 extent that in a comparatively short time it completely destroys 

 the plant. N"o remedy has yet been found for it. The destruc- 

 tion of this pest is of so important a character that in 1874 the 

 French Government offered a large reward for the discovery 

 of a means of destroying it, and preventing its spread. During 

 1880 another Vine mildew has made its appearance in France. 

 It attacks the leaves of the Vine about the time of the vintage ; 

 they become brown and shrivelled, as if scorched by the sun 

 or bitten by the frost, and this is found to be caused by a 

 mildew-mould. "When it first appears it is of a pure white 

 colour, which changes to a leaden tint. It has received the 

 name of Peronospora viticola. It is very similar in appearance 

 to Peronos;poTa infestans^ the potato mildew. Eaisins are the 

 dried berries of the grape. The name Vine is also popularly 

 applied to climbing plants in general. 



Vine of Sodom,— In the Bible we read, " Their vine is of 

 the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah ; their grapes 

 are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." Josephus, in his 

 History of the Jews, says — " Which fruits have a colour as if 



