THE GRAPE. 
C. C. M. 
THE name grape is from the 
French grappe, a bunch of 
grapes; from the same root as 
. gripe or grab, to grasp. It is 
one of the most ' valuable fruits, not 
only because of its use in the manufac- 
ture of wine, and is the source also 
from which brandy, vinegar, and tar- 
taric acid are obtained, but because, 
both in a fresh and dried state, it forms 
not a mere article of luxury, but a 
great part of the food of the inhabi- 
tants of some countries. 
The cultivation of the vine was in- 
troduced into England by the Romans, 
and of late years its cultivation has 
much increased in gardens, on the walls 
of suburban villas and of cottages, but 
chiefly for the sake of the fresh fruit, 
although wine is also made in small 
quantities for domestic use. 
The first attempt at the culture of 
the vine in the United States for wine- 
making was in Florida in 1564; and an- 
other was made by the British colonist 
in 1620. In Delaware wine was made 
from native grapes as early as 1648. 
In 1683 William Penn engaged in the 
cultivation of the vine near Philadel- 
phia, but with only partial success. In 
1825 the Catawba vine, a native of 
North Carolina, came into prominence; 
and it was afterward cultivated exten- 
sively near Cincinnati by Nicholas 
Longworth, who has been called the 
father of this culture in the United 
States. In 1858 the entire production 
of Catawba wine in Ohio amounted to 
400,000 gallons. In the states east of 
About 250 years ago Dr. Power at- 
tributed the fly's locomotive power to 
"a furry kind of substance like little 
sponges with which she hath lined the 
soles of her feet, which substance is 
also repleated with a whitish viscous 
liquor, which she can at pleasure 
squeeze out, and so sodder and be- 
glue herself to the place she walks on, 
which otherwise her gravity would hin- 
der, especially when she walks in those 
inverted positions." Scientific men 
the Rocky mountains the greatest ex- 
tent of territority in vineyards occurs 
in Ohio, New York, Missouri, Pennsyl- 
vania, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, but 
at present they exist in nearly every 
state in the Union. Of all of the states, 
however, California is the most im- 
portant for vine-growing. The vine- 
yards were first cultivated there during 
the middle of the last century, the first 
grape planted being the Los Angeles, 
which was the only one grown till 
1820. 
The cultivation of the vine varies 
much in different countries. In the vin- 
eries of Britain the vines are carefully 
trained in various ways so as most com- 
pletely to cover the walls and trellises 
and to turn the whole available space 
to the utmost account. The luxuriant 
growth of the plant renders the fre- 
quent application of the pruning-knife 
necessary during the summer. The 
bunches of grapes are generally thinned 
out with great care, in order that finer 
fruit may be produced. By such means, 
and the aid of artificial heat, grapes 
are produced equal to those of the 
most favored climates, and the vine 
attains to a large size and a great age. 
The famous vine at Hampton Court 
has a stem more than a foot in circum- 
ference, one branch measuring one hun- 
dred and fourteen feet in length, and 
has produced in one season two thou- 
sand two hundred bunches of grapes, 
weighing on an average one pound 
each, or in all about a ton. 
refused to to believe this explanation, 
and taught that the bottom of a fly's 
foot resembled the leather sucker used 
by boys to lift stones, and that this 
formation enabled it to move back 
downwards. However it has been 
proved that Dr. Power was right in 
every point but the sticky nature of 
the liquid that exudes from the fly's 
foot. This substance is not sticky, and 
the attachment which it causes is 
brought about by capillary attraction. 
>R 25 1932 
17') 
