131 
ORDER MONOGYNIA. 
latitude 50°, a similar climate, to the 43d degree of latitude on 
the eastern coast. Thus the wine, grape may grow in 50° of 
latitude, near the lakes, the Mississipi, and Pacific ocean ; while, 
in the eastern part of New York and New England, it would not 
thrive beyond the 43d degree of latitude. 
We find, on the other side of the Atlantic, the region of the 
wine grape, including France, and the southern countries of Eu- 
rope, extending as high as latitude 50°. 
The southern limit of the wine grape where the mean annual 
temperature is about 59°, is traced from Raleigh, in the United 
States, in latitude 35°, to Europe, where it passes between Rome 
and Florence, in latitude 44° ; this line is the boundary between 
the grape region and that of the olive and fig, which you know, 
require a higher temperature than the grape. 
The banks of the Rhine produce excellent grapes, which are 
brought down the river in great quantities to the seaports. The 
festival of the Vintage, or the gathering of the grapes, which, 
like our Thanksgiving season, is intended as a manifestation of 
gratitude for the fruits of the earth, was celebrated with much 
joy by the ancient Romans, and is still observed by the people 
of Italy ; it occurs with them about the beginning of September ; 
in France and the south of Germany, it is later. 
The Fallernian wine was the most celebrated among the Ro- 
mans ; some of the Latin poets spoke of it oftener than we should 
expect from those, whose intellectual taste might seem to elevate 
them above any very great attention to the gratification of the 
external senses. The number of wines in use, in the days of 
Virgil, was such, that he said he might as well attempt to count 
the sand on the shore, or the billows of the ocean in a storm, as 
to make a catalogue of them. 
The vinesof Italy, are often trained upon trees, particularly upon 
the lofty Elm. In France, the vineyards have short poles, about 
the length of bean poles. The appearance exhibited by a luxu- 
riant vineyard is truly rich and beautiful ; of those of France and 
Italy, it may well be said, 
“ The vine her curling tendrils shoots, 
Hang's out her clusters, glowing to the south, 
And scarcely wishes for a warmer sky.” 
It is said, the Persian vine-dressers endeavour to make the vine 
run up the wall, and curl over on the other side, which they do, 
by tying stones to the extremity of the tendrils. A writer re- 
marking upon this, thinks it may illustrate a passage in Genesis. 
Joseph is a fruitful bough ; even a fruitful bough by a icell ; 
Festival of the vintage. 
