THE VINE stands forward as the most pre-eminently conspicuous. Its quickness of growth, the great age to which it will live; so great indeed as to be unknown,-its almost total exemption from all those adverse contingencies which blight and diminish the produce of other fruit-bearing trees, its astonishing vegetative powers, its wonderful fertility, and its delicious fruit, applicable to so many purposes, and agreeable to all palates, in all its varied shapes, combine to mark it out, as one of the greatest blessings bestowed by Providence to promote the comfort and enjoyments of the human race.

From the remotest records of antiquity, the vine has been celebrated in all ages, as the type of plenty, and the symbol of happiness. The pages of Scripture abound with allusions to the fertility of the vine as emblematical of prosperity; and it is emphatically declared, in describing the peaceful and flourishing state of the kingdom of Israel during the reign of Solomon, that "Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba." The source of enjoyment thus mentioned to record the happy state of the Jewish nation, may be, with reference to the vine, literally possessed by the greater portion of the inhabitants of this island.

The native country of the vine is generally considered to be Persia, but it has been found

wild in America, and is now become naturalized in all the temperate regions of the world. In the northern hemisphere, it forms an important branch of rural economy from the 21st, to the 51st parallel of latitude, and by an improved method of culture, very fine grapes may be annually grown on the surface of walls, in the open air, as far north as the 54th parallel, and even beyond that in favourable seasons.

The vine is supposed to have been introduced into Britain at the commencement of the Christian Era; and history amply proves, that for a long series of ages, vineyards were very common in the southern parts of this island, and that the quantity of wine produced from them was so great, as to be considered one of the staple products of the land. From some cause or other, however, they have fallen into general neglect, although good grapes might be grown on vines, trained as espaliers, or in the same manner as in the vineyards abroad, from which excellent wine could be made, at a cost that would not exceed that of moderately strong beer. Why vineyards should have so completely disappeared, it is difficult to say, since there are many thousands of acres of poor land, that are of little value in an agricultural point of view, but on which vines would flourish, and produce abundant crops of grapes, and yield thereby a most profitable

return.

Vines are now cultivated in this country, only against walls, upon the roofs of buildings, and under glass. The expence attending the growing of grapes under glass, is such, however, as obviously to place that method out of the reach of the mass of the people; and vineyard culture, now that it has fallen into disuse, is, perhaps, considered so much in the light of a commercial speculation, that those who possess the means of practising it, are deterred from employing them, from an apprehension that the risk and uncertainty attending it, would prove more than sufficient to counterbalance its advantages. But the cultivation of vines on open walls being free from these and all other objections, presents an advantageous method of producing grapes, which may be embraced by every person who has at his command a few square feet of the surface of a wall. This mode of culture, indeed, offers to the possessors of houses, buildings, and walled gardens, and even to the most humble cottager, ample means of procuring with the greatest certainty, an abundant supply of this most valuable fruit. It is not too much to assert, that the surface of the walls of every cottage of a medium size, that is applicable to the training of vines, is capable of producing, annually, as many grapes as would be worth half the amount of its rental. Every square foot of the surface of a wall, may, in a short space of time, be covered with bearing

wood, sufficient to produce on an average, a pound weight of grapes, and I have frequently grown double that quantity on a similar extent of surface.

From this it will be seen how valuable the surfaces of walls are, and what advantages are lost by those who suffer any portion of them to remain vacant. Nor must it be supposed, that a single vine requires for its training, a large portion of walling. That it does, I am aware, is a very common notion, but it is a very erroneous one, and one that has, no doubt, arisen, from the universally defective method of pruning and managing that plant; whereby the wood is suffered, and, indeed, encouraged to extend itself most disproportionately beyond the capability of its fruit-bearing powers. I scarcely ever allot more than from forty to fifty square feet of surface for one vine, and unless the soil and situation be very superior indeed, a single vine will require a space of time not less than twenty years at least, before it will possess a sufficient degree of strength, to enable it to mature, annually, a greater quantity of grapes than can be trained on the last-mentioned extent of surface. On a wall only twenty-five inches in height, and eighteen feet in length, I have for years trained a vine that is a perfect picture of fertility, the whole surface of the wall being, every year, literally covered with fine grapes close down to the very

stem of the plant. It will thus be seen, that small detached portions and vacant spaces of the surface of walls, which, in innumerable instances are deemed of no value, and are therefore neglected, may be turned to a most beneficial account in the production of the fruit of the vine.

And with reference to the importance of the culture of the vine, as affording a most valuable and highly esteemed fruit, it deserves especial remark, that for the making of wine, not only are ripened grapes applicable to that purpose, but from the leaves, tendrils, and young shoots of vines, and also from unripe or immature grapes,

very fine wine may be made, differing in no re

spect from many sorts of wines imported from abroad, as the following extract from Dr. Macculloch's "Remarks on the Art of making Wine," will sufficiently shew.

"Chemical examination has proved, that the young shoots, the tendrils, and the leaves of the vine, possess properties, and contain substances, exactly similar to the crude fruit. It was no unnatural conclusion that they might equally be used for the purposes of making wine. Experiments were accordingly instituted in France for this purpose, and they have been repeated here with success. From vine leaves, water, and sugar, wines have been thus produced, in no respect differing from the produce of the im

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