300 
THE GRAPE. 
Greece and Sicily, and gradually to Italy, Spain, France, and 
Britain, to which latter country the Romans carried it about two 
hundred years after Christ. To America the seeds and plants 
of the European varieties were brought by numerous emigrants 
and colonists within the first fifty years after its settlement. 
The wild grapes of our own country are quite distinct species 
from the wine grape of Europe — are usually stronger in their 
growth, with larger and more entire foliage, and, in their native 
state, with a peculiar foxy odour or flavour, and more or less 
hardness of pulp. These traits, however, disappear in process 
of cultivation, and we have reason to hope that we shall soon 
obtain, from the wild type, new varieties of high quality, and of 
superior hardiness and productiveness in this climate. 
The grape vine is in all cases a trailing or climbing deciduous 
shrub, living to a great age,* and, in its native forests, clamber- 
ing over the tops of the tallest trees. In the deep rich alluvial 
soils of western America, it is often seen attaining a truly pro- 
digious size, and several have been measured on the banks of 
the Ohio, the stems of which were three feet in circumference, 
and the branches two hundred feet long, enwreathing and fes- 
tooning the tops of huge poplars and sycamores. In a cultivated 
state, however, it is found that fine flavour, and uniform pro- 
ductiveness, require the plants to be kept pruned within a small 
compass. 
Uses. The grape in its finest varieties, as the Hamburgh 
and the Muscat, is in flavour hardly surpassed by any other fruit 
in delicacy and richness, and few or none are more beautiful in 
the dessert. Dried, it forms the raisin of commerce, the most 
excellent of all dried fruits, every where esteemed. And wine, 
the fermented juice, has always been the first of all exhilarating 
liquors. Some idea of the past consumption of this product 
may be formed from the fact that more than 500,000,000 impe- 
rial gallons have been made in France, in a single year ; and as 
a data to judge of its value, we may add, that, while a great 
proportion of the vin ordinaire , or common wine, is sold at 10 
or 12 cents a bottle; on the other hand, particular old and rare 
vintages of Madeiras or Sherries will not unfrequently command 
twenty or thirty dollars a gallon. 
Soil. The universal experience in all countries has established 
the fact that a dry and warm soil is the very best for the vine. 
Where vineyards are cultivated, a limestone soil, or one com- 
posed of decaying calcareous rocks, is by far the best; but 
where, as in most gardens, the vine is raised solely for its fruit, 
the soil should be highly enriched. The foreign grape will 
scarcely thrive well here on a heavy soil, though our native 
* Pliny gives ai account of a vine six hundred years old, and tliere arc 
said to be vines ii Burgundy more than four hundred years old. 
