1801.] 
Jo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ! 
THINK it proper to mention a very 
_ material omiffion in the account of the 
royal bounty granted at prefent to the 
Prefbyterian clergy in Ireland. The ad- 
ditional fum of soool. was granted during 
the Weftmoreland adminiftration, of which 
4600]. was given to the Northern Synod, 
aud the remainder to the Southern Affo- 
‘ciation, of which, I believe, there are not: 
more than fourteen members. 
Bam; (6c. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T the approaching feafon of plum- 
A puddings and minced pies, fome of 
your readers way perhaps not be difpleafed 
with the following particulars refpecting 
that indifpenfable ingredient in their fa- 
vourite difh—the Corinth raifin, more 
commonly known by the corrupted appel- 
Jation of currant. The account—which, 
I hope, will be duly relithed by every pa- 
Jate accuftomed to the fweets of old Eng- 
lifh cookery—is. extracted from the re- 
marks of a late French traveller, who en- 
joyed the beft opportunies of acquiring in- 
formation. : 
D. 
THE Corinth raifn is the moft:conf- 
derable among the produCtions of the ifle 
of Zante, which, in common years, pro- 
duces between nine and ten millions of 
pounds weight of that article. Years 
have been known which yielded crops 
of above twelve millions of pounds. It 
is this raifin which furnifhes the Zantiot 
with the means of {fatisfying thofe 
wants, for the fupply of which Nature 
has fhown herftlf not liberal in pro- 
viding him. The firft plants of this truit 
were carried from Corinth to Zante about 
two centuries ago. No record has been 
preferved, which can afcertain the precife 
epoch or the author of the original tranf- 
plantation: the period here affigned is 
founded on the date of various regulations 
made by the Venetian fenate refpecting the 
exportation of that raifin. The Corinth 
grape found in Zante a foil at leaf equally 
good as that of its native {pot; and ac- 
cordingly it throve in its new fituation. 
‘The culture of it became gradually ex- 
tended in proportion to the increafe of 
commerce: and it is a demonftrated fact 
that it is fufceptible of ftill greater exten- 
fion. 
The vine which bears the Corinth grape 
rifes very little: it is fupported with 
ftakes. Seven or eight years muf elapfe 
Acountof the Corinth Raifin. 
Vine. 
if 
before it become ufefully produ&tive: but 
the ftock endures for a very confiderable 
length of time; and feveral of the vines 
are to be feen, which are above a hundred 
and twenty yearsold. The root ftrikes 
deep, and is very ftrong: the internal part 
of itis of a moft beautiful red colour*, 
The berries of the grape are fimall, about 
the fize of the common currant, but more 
clofely cluftcred, and of a brownith-red 
colour: they contain no fione. This 
fruit is extremely agreeable to eat when it 
is not yet pertcétly ripe, its very great 
fweetnels being then correéted by a {mall 
degree of acidity, like that of the common 
currants, which renders it delicious. It is 
very wholefome, and is given to fick perfons. 
The operations ufual with refpeé& to 
other vines are practifed with the Corinth 
vine; but the latter requires more affidu. 
ous care. It requires to be foftered, fed, 
and warmed with rich dung. During the 
months of September and O&ober, the 
earth round each ftock is broken up, and 
a {mall hillock formed near the foot ef the 
In this ftate it remains during De- 
cember, January, and February. In 
March it is pruned: the ftronger branches 
being preferved, all the others, which 
could only draw away the nutritive juices 
intended for the fruit, are cut off. After 
this operation, the mould, which had _ be- 
fore been piled up into hillocks, is thrown 
back into the holes from which it had been 
dug ; and care is taken to render the earth 
as level as poffible. In the month of 
May, the grape begins to form; and al- 
ready the hufbandman begins to receive a 
part of the reward of his labours in the 
fragrant odours exhaled from his vineyard. 
About the end of July, or, at lateft, the 
beginning of Auguf, the vintage com- 
mences. As foonas gathered, the grapes 
are immediately laid, clufter by clutter, 
on a level ground prepared for the purpote, 
where they are dried by the heat of the 
fun. Not more than a fortnight is re- 
quired to dry them perfectly. 
The iflanders feel the greateft anxiety 
during the whole time that the grapes lie 
thus expofed on the floors. The flighteft 
rain retacds the drying, and fenfibly im- 
* IfI were not afraid of exciting aclamour 
among the amateurs of minced-pies, I would 
afk whether the root might not be more ufe- 
fully employed by our dyers than the berry by 
our cooks—or, at leaft, whether the Corinth 
vine might not be deferving of cultivation in 
this country for the fake of the root, eyen 
though it should produce no grapes worth 
gathering. 
Ca pairs 
