[8] 



III. Account of the Alexandrian Ciotat Grape, a new Seedling 

 Variety. In a Letter to the Secretary. By John Williams, 

 Esq. Corresponding Member of the Horticultural Society. 



Read January 4th, 1820. 



Dear Sir, 



X have this day forwarded to you two bunches of a new 

 Seedling Grape, the result of an attempt to improve the 

 flavour of the Parsley-leaved Grape, or Ciotat of Canada. 

 The object I wished to obtain in raising a seminal variety of 

 this Grape, was a Vine with the leaves much divided, which 

 would lessen the shade, and permit other plants to receive 

 light on the floor of a forcing-house. I, therefore, impreg- 

 nated several blossoms of the Parsley-leaved Grape with the 

 pollen of the White Muscat of Alexandria, and obtained four 

 plants from the seed. The specimen I send you is the fruit 

 of one of these. The wood and buds bear a strong resem- 

 blance to the Muscat of Alexandria ; the leaf is smaller, and 

 the lobes more divided, but not so much divided as those of 

 the Ciotat. 



This fruit has the fleshy firmness of the Muscat of Alex- 

 andria, but has none of the perfume. The plant is a great 

 bearer, aud grows with extraordinary vigour/ the berries, 

 however, set rather thin on the bunch ; but it possesses one 

 good quality, that of keeping without withering or rotting, 

 much longer than most other Grapes. The bunches I send 

 you have been nearly in the same state for the last two 

 months ; and two years ago, a bunch gathered in January, 



