42 
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ON THE MANAGEMENT' 
other except the following, as in all likelihood the offspring 
wouldonlyproduce bunches much lefs ponderous. But the white 
Mufcat of Alexandria having larger berries and longer foot- 
halks, there would be a probability of producing a kind be- 
tween this and the Syrian Grape that would exceed the origi- 
nal 
“ 7 'his part of the world produced, anciently, both large grapes and large 
“ bunches; for when the Twelve Spies were fent by Mofes, then in the 
“ Defert or Wildernefs, to view and reconnoiter the Southern parts of 
“ the land of Canaan, they came unto the brook of Efhcol, and cut 
“ down from thence a branch with one duller of grapes, and they bare 
“ it between two upon a llafF, Numb. xiii. 23. How large the branch, 
“ cut with the duller, might be, is not known; and, perhaps, this mode 
“ of carrying might be owing, not fo much to the weight of the branch and 
“ its duller, (fince one man could very well carry both, though they Ihould 
“ weigh 40 or 501b.) as that the duller being to be exhibited and Ihewn 
“ to the people on their return, it was neceflary to preferve the fruit fair, 
“ whole, and unbruifed ; However, it is to be prefumed, that the duller 
“ was fingularly large and fine, the tenor of the narration evidently imply- 
“ ing that. 
“ But as to the largenefs of the bunches in this quarter of the world, Strabo, 
“ who lived in the reign of Augullus, tellifies, that the Vines in Margiana 
“ and other places were fo big, that two men could fcarcely compafs them 
“ with their arms, and that they produced bunches of grapes two cubits or 
“ a yard long, which is more than a foot longer than that vail bunch pro- 
“ duced by his Grace the Duke of Portland at Welbeck. 
“ We Ihould, probably, have heard more of the enormous clullers of grapes 
“ growing in thefe Eallern parts, if the country, ever fince the feventh cen- 
“ tury, when Abubeker over-ran it, had not been in the hands of the Sa- 
“ racens. 
