The 11//lite Frontignac vine is a copious bearer. The berries are round, and or a good size, closely clustered on a long bunch, somewhat shouldered. When ripe they are excellent, and remarkable for uniting the qualities of being fleshy, and having a sweet juice and perfumed fla vour,—not so powerful, however, as that of the black and red varieties, the last of which has a very strong musky flavour. The ripe berries have a fine white bloom .or farina on them, from whence the name is given. It has a place in the vinery, and is also trained against open walls.
The Malmsey Muscadine grape has a sweet juice, and high flavour, and the vine is a good bearer. It is com monly planted in the vinery, but succeeds also against the open wall.
The Royal Muscadine, or White Chasselas, the d'Ar boyse of Speechly and Forsyth, is an excellent grape for the vinery or the hot-house ; the bunches large and shoul dered ; berries round and amber-coloured when ripe; the juice rich and vinous. The vine generally grows remark ably gross and strong, both in wood and foliage.
The 111/2ite Muscat of Alexandria, or Alexandrian fron tignac, has large oval berries, which hang loose in the bunches, these being long, and not shouldered ; when ripe the berries are amber-coloured ; and the juice is then rich and racy ; the skins are thick, and the pulp hard, but of a highly musky flavour. It is fit only for the grape house or pine-stove.
The White Constantia berries are tolerably large, rather of an oval shape, of a sweet taste, with only a slight fla vour. The bunch is of considerable size, and well form ed. This is the kind which has acquired fame at the Cape of Good Hope. It is said to degenerate when transplant ed. At Constantia farm it grows in a light sandy loam the situation is low, but more elevated than other parts of the district. There is likewise a red Constantia ; and a black Constantia appears in some catalogues : but this last has proved to be the same as the black frontignac.* The IViiite Hamburgh, or Portugal grape, grows in large long bunches ; the berries are oval, pale white, with a thick skin, and firm pulpy flesh. The vine is a plenti ful bearer, and grows very strong both in wood and leaves. It much resembles the Syrian.
The Tokay, when well managed, produces both large bunches and large berries, and becomes one of the finest grapes in the vinery. The berries are white, oval-shaped,
skin thin, pulp delicate, and of agreeable flavour. The leaves on the under side are covered with a fine soft down like satin. It should be placed in the warmest end of the vinery, and is well suited for the pine-stove.
The Greek grape is a high-flavoured and delicate fruit. The berries are of moderate size, somewhat oval, bluish white ; growing close, in middling sized bunches. The leaves or the tree resemble those or the sweetwater, but stand on shorter footstalks ; it is a plentiful bearer either in the vinery or hot-house.
The Brick grape gets its name from the berries being of a pale red or brick colour ; they are thin skinned, with a sweet juice. The hunches are small, but two or three of ten proceed from the same shoot, so that the vine is, upon the whole, a plentiful bearer. It succeeds on walls and treillages, and is hardly deserving of a place in the vinery.
The Red Frontignac is an excellent musky flavoured grape, when fully ripe, of a brownish red colour. The juice of this, says Miller, has the most vinous flavour of all the sorts, and is greatly esteemed in France. It is well calculated for the vinery.
What is called the Grizzly Frontignac seems to be only the red in an unripe state, at which time the berries arc greyish-coloured, with a few dark stripes.
The Red Hamburgh, or Gibraltar grape, grows in large bunches ; the bellies somewhat oval shaped, of consider able size, thin skinned, red when ripe, juicy, with a rich vinous flavour. It is suited only for the vinery and hot house.
Of the Black Grapes, one of the most hardy kinds is called the Miller, or Dusty Miller, from a white powdery appearance on the surface of its leaves : It is nearly allied to the black cluster grape. It is much cultivated in gar dens, and against the fiont and gable walls of houses in the south-west of England : the fruit ripens freely, and is very good, the skin and pulp being delicate, and the juice sweet and pleasant ; the berries are oval, of a middling size, and closely placed to each other in the bunches.
The Early July has small black round berries, with large stones ; they grow loose on the bunches, which are small but numerous ; juice sugary, with but little flavour. It ripens early in September, without fire heat. There is also a White July grape, which is little cultivated.