One of the principal branches of husbandry[1487] in Greece was the culture of the vine, probably introduced from Phœnicia.[1488] Long before the historical age, however, it had spread itself through the whole country, together with several parts of Asia Minor, as may be inferred from the language of Homer,[1489] who frequently enumerates vineyards among the possessions of his heroes. Like most things the origin of which was unknown, the vine furnished the poets and common people with the subjects of numerous fables, some of which were reckoned of sufficient importance to be treasured up and transmitted to posterity. Thus, among the Ozolian Locrians, it was said[1490] to have sprung from a small piece of wood, brought forth in lieu of whelps by a bitch. Others supposed a spot near Olympia[1491] to have given birth to the vine, in proof of which the inhabitants affirmed a miracle was wrought annually among them during the Dionysiac festival. They took three empty brazen vessels, and having closely covered and sealed them in the presence of witnesses, again opened them after some interval of time, not stated, when they were found full of wine. According to other authorities, the environs of Plinthinè, in Egypt, had the honour of being the cradle of Dionysos, on which account the ancient Egyptians were by some accused of inebriety, though in the age of Herodotus[1492] there would appear to have been no vineyards in the whole valley of the Nile. In reality,[1493] the vine appears to be a native of all temperate climates, both in the old world and the new, and will even flourish[1494] and produce fine grapes in various situations within the tropics, where clusters in different stages of ripeness may be observed upon its branches at all seasons of the year. ----- Footnote 1487: The importance of this branch of cultivation in some countries may be perceived from the fact, that in France it is said to afford employment to 2,200,000 families, comprising a population of 6,000,000, or nearly one-fifth of the population of the entire kingdom. TIMES, Aug. 3, 1838. The quantity of land devoted to the culture of the vine was estimated in 1823, at 4,270,000 acres, the produce of which amounted to 920,721,088 gallons, 22,516,220_l._ 15_s._ sterling. Redding, Hist. of Modern Wines, chap. iv. p. 56. In the Greek Budget of 1836, the tax on cattle produced 2,100,000 drachmas, on bees 35,000, olive-grounds 64,776, and on vineyards and currant-grounds 58,269.—Parish, Diplomatic History of the Monarchy of Greece, p. 175. Footnote 1488: Or according to Athenæus, from the shores of the Red Sea. Deipnosoph. xv. 17. Footnote 1489: Iliad. β. 561. γ. 184. ι. 152, 294. Cf. Pind. Isth. viii. 108. Footnote 1490: Paus. x. 38. 1. Footnote 1491: Athen. i. 61. Footnote 1492: ii. 77. Footnote 1493: Cf. Redding History of Modern Wines, chap. i. p. 2. An interesting and able work. Footnote 1494: