Chap. 4.] 
VAEIETIES or THE VIITE. 
227 
The albuelis" produces most of its fruit at the top of 
the tree, the visula at the bottom ; hence, when planted around 
the same tree, in consequence of these peculiarities in their 
nature, they bear between them a two-fold crop. One of the 
black grape vines has been called the inerticula," ®^ though 
it might with more propriety have been styled the sobria;"^- 
the wine from it is remarkably good, and more particularly 
when old ; but though strong, it is productive of no ill effects, 
and, indeed, is the only wine that will not cause in- 
toxication. 
The abundance of their produce again recommends other 
vines to us, and, in the first place, that known as the helven- 
naca."^^ Of this vine there are two kinds; the larger, which 
is by some called the *'long" helvennaca, and the smaller 
kind, which is known as the emarcum/'^ not so prolific as 
the first, but producing a wine of more agreeable flavour ; it 
is distinguished by its rounded leaf, but they are both of 
them of slender make. It is requisite to place forks beneath 
these vines for the support of their branches, as otherwise it 
would be quite impossible for them to support the weight of 
their produce : they receive nutriment from the breezes that 
blow from the sea, and foggy weather is injurious to them. 
There is not one among the vines that manifests a greater 
aversion to Italy, for there it becomes comparatively leafless 
and stunted, and soon decays, while the wine which it produces 
there will not keep beyond the summer : no vine, however, 
thrives better in a poor soil, GrsBcinus, who has copied from 
the works of Cornelius Celsus, gives it as his opinion that it is 
not that the nature of this vine is repugnant to the climate 
of Italy, but that it is the mode of cultivating it that is 
60 Probably from "albus," "white." Poinsinet thinks that it may 
have been so called from the Celtic word alb^ or alp^ a mountain, and that 
it grew on elevated spots. This, however, is probably fanciful. 
Called by the Greeks afxeOvaTovy from its comparatively harmless 
qualities. 
62 Or " sober " vine. 
63 Hardouin says that in his time it was still cultivated about Macerata, 
in the Eoraan States. Fee thinks that it may be one of the climbing 
vines, supported by forks, cultivated in the central provinces of France. 
See also B. xxiii. c. 19, as to the effects produced by its wine. 
6* Poinsinet gives a Celto- Scythian origin to this word, and says that it 
means " injured by fogs." This appears to be supported in some measure 
by wh-at is stated below. 
Q 2 
