FLORA AND SYLVA. 



Gamai de yuillet, grown in various forms, 

 but the best of its class ; a vigorous grower, 

 renewing well when cut by late frosts, and 

 even then ripening in advance of any other. 

 Its growths run from 6 to 9 feet, carrying fair- 

 sized bunches of bluish-black grapes, juicy, but 

 slightly acid ; ripens from the end of July, and 

 succeeds as far north as Nancy. There is a 

 local variety, Precoce de Montreuil, considered 

 superior, in its own neighbourhood, to the 

 Gamai, but the plant needs care and to be well 

 established to fruit well. It fails if closely cut, 

 the lower eyes proving sterile, but old plants 

 bear freely and ripen early. Thefruitis sweeter 

 than the first and with a tough skin keeps well. 

 Precoce de Malingre, another hardy plant, is 

 much grown in the Vosges and other cold 

 districts. Even when ripe the fruit does not 

 colour but clears. Its skin being tender, it does 

 not travel well, but comes earlier than the 

 Chasselas by a fortnight. Madeleine Angevine, 

 a good white grape, juicy and sweet, if rather 

 small ; comes early, but like most early grapes 

 is an uncertain cropper : a seedling derived 

 from it, Madeleine Celine, promises to do better 

 in this respect. The Madeleine noire, the early 

 one of Paris, is better known, ripening at the 

 end of July, or quite early in August, some ten 

 days later than the Gamai. This comes well 

 in good weather, but readily spoils if wet ; the 

 berries and bunches are somewhat small but of 

 good flavour. This is followed by the Made- 

 leine Royale, much grown in the cold north- 

 east, where others ripen with difficulty. A 

 strong fertile plant, doing best when pruned 

 long, and pinched as the shoots show fruit. It 

 is also somewhat liable to spoil in bad weather, 

 but is a fair setter, bearing good white grapes, 

 finely flavoured, and quite equal to Chasselas. 

 Gros Coulard is an old variety, of good size 

 and quality, but a very uncertain cropper in 

 the north ; in southern latitudes shows itself 

 one of the best early grapes. Vert de Madere 

 is a variety from the north of Italy, coming 

 in a few days earlier than Madeleine Royale ; 

 the fruits take little colour even when ripe, 

 and though good are often scanty. The Lig- 

 nan Blanc, another Italian grape, does well as 

 far north as Paris in good seasons, and for its 

 beauty, size and flavour is equal to the best 

 early grapes. Like some other Vines, it will 



not bear close cutting, but fruits well when 

 allowed to run. The Precoce de Courtiller, also 

 white, has a slight muscat flavour, and beside 

 being very early is of good quality, but the 

 bunches are small, a fault which it snares with 

 Muscat Durbaye, the best early muscat. Fol- 

 lowing these earliest varieties are the early 

 Chasselas, Due de Malakoj}, de Florence, Duha- 

 mel, and Vibert, all of which are good, but vary- 

 ing in reputation in different districts. Though 

 it cannot rank as an early grape, a seedling va- 

 riety of Japanese origin, raised and cultivated 

 in Normandy, fruits and ripens regularly where 

 no other has been found to succeed. As a ro- 

 bust and hardy grower Li Alengonnaise thrives in 

 poor situations, and its fruits (if not of highest 

 quality) are juicy and sweet. A second Vine, 

 of similar origin and every bit as hardy, is Pre- 

 coce Capiat, an improved form of Vitis Coigne- 

 tia?, bearing attractive bunches of black fruit, 

 small, juicy, and a little acid in taste. Though 

 not worth a place for its fruit, this is bold in 

 leaf and rampant in growth ; its leaves, some- 

 times 1 5 inches and more across, make it a 

 striking object anywhere, and its fruits coming 

 in September or October are an added charm. 



Wild Vines. — Our choice of Vines has 

 been increased of late years by plants from 

 China and Japan, some of them very hardy 

 and beautiful. Of these the variegated Ma- 

 dame Capiat is one of the best, its leaves show- 

 ing bold blotches of red and white. This 

 plant is itself a seedling of V. Romaneti, the 

 rampant Chinese sort, noticeable for the red- 

 dish, hairy, almost spiny, clothing of stems and 

 leaf stalks. V. Coignetice, and its form Precoce 

 Capiat are both good for their leafy vigour 

 and autumnal colour, while for the latter pur- 

 pose V. Thunbergii and V. californica are as 

 showy as any, and rapid in growth. The Vir- 

 ginia Creeper with its popular varieties mura- 

 lis and purpurea are so nearly Vines that they 

 may well be classed as such. 



The following list gives the species of 

 wild Vines: — Vitis aestivalis (Summer Grape), 

 North America ; amurensis, China ; arborea, 

 United States ; arizonica (Canon Grape), 

 North America ; Berlandieri, Texas ; bicolor 

 (Blue Grape), United States ; bourquiniana 

 (Valley Grape), California ; brevipedunculata^ 

 China ; californica, N.W. America ; candicans 



