Open air grape culture; a practical treatise on the garden and vineyard culture of the vine

Achilles represented a vine-gathering, and Herodotus and Theophrastus speak of the culture of the vine in Egypt; and on the very oldest Greek tombs are found pictures representing the vine harvest.Pliny enters fully into the natural lustory ot the vine, and describes a variety with berries shaped like the finger,* while the second book of Virgil's Georgics forms no mean treatise on practical viticulture.The generic name of the vine (wetzs) is derived, according to some authors, fiom the Latin wincure to bind ; according to others it comes from were, to bend, alluding to the flexibility of its branches.Both these * Most of the authors whe have noticed this variety, suppose it to have been lost, but we have received from John Kolber, Esq., of New York, slips of a vine imported by him from Hungary, the fruit of which is described as being an inch and a half long and half an inch in diarmeter-a form which might easily be described by an imaginative writer as resembling a finger.In fact the native name is Acckse, esocs or Goals icats--an idea similar to that of the old philosopher, though not quite so elegant.We find also in several catalogues erapes called finger-grapes-synonyms of which are Cornichon Blane, Cucumber Grape, Bec d'Oiseau (Bird's beak), Teta de Vacca (Cow's teats), Doigts Donzelle, etc., etc.Mr. Kolber has made earnest and praiseworthy efforts to introduce the hardier varieties of the vine from the hills of Hungary, and we are happy to learn that thus far, the results are exceedingly promising.It will take several years, however, to decide whether or not any foreign variety can be grown with success in this country, 4s most imported plants do well for a fow years.~ NATURAL AND CIVIL HISTORY OF THE VINE.19 * The force of this saying is lost by adopting Mr. Redding's translation '' Bacchus loves the hills," Davidson gives the whole, '' Bacchus loves the open hills'--which is better.But the true meaning "Bacchus loves the open little hills" coincides perfectly with experience and with the principles above.set forth.