GRAPE HORTUS JAMAICENSIS, Sg5 



justly obsen'es, tliey thrive and ripen as well here, and would prLKUice as rich aud 

 mellow wine, as in any ])art ot'tjie world, and ihc inland afiRnds ;i n>imbi.;i- of other fruits 

 to enlarge the quantity, and enrich tiie flavour of the juice. The niusciidiue succeeds 

 the best, and, in the lower land^, ripens all its berries nearly at a time, having very 

 large clusters -of the fruit, frequently from eight to ten pounds weight; the pulp of 

 -w^hich has been found less watery, and more tieshy, than in the south of France. Of 

 grapes, there have been enumerated more than fifty varieties in Europe. Grape vines, 

 in a favourable situation, produce- niost abundaiitlv. There is a famous vine in a gr-ape 

 iiouse, on the south-side of Hani))ton Court palace, planted in the year \~tiJ, the stem 

 about thirteen inches in girth, and the principal branch one hundred and fourteen feet 

 in length, which pinxiuced in one year two thousand two hundred bunches of grapes, 

 weighing on an aver'agc a pound each. 



Grape vines are propagated either from layers qr cuttings ; tlie latter is however 

 preferable. In choosing cuttings, they should be strong and well ripened, and cut 

 irom an old vine just below the place wiie're they were produced, taking a knot, or a 

 piece of two years wood, to each, which should be pruned smooth; then you should 

 cut oft" the upper part of the shoots, so as to leave the cutting about sixteen inches 

 long. When the young piece, or knot of old wood, is cut m both ends, near the 

 voung shoot, die cutting wdl resemble a little mallet; from whence Columella gives 

 the title of nuiUcolus to the vine cuttings. In making the cuttings after this manner, 

 there can be but one taken from each shoot; whereas most persons cut them into 

 lengths of about a foot, and plant them all ; which is very wrong, for various reasons. 



The plants may be placed about six feet from each other, and laid with their tops 

 inclining to the vvalljNand put in so deep that the uppermost eye may be level with 

 the surface of the ground ; for when any part of the cutting is left above ground, most 

 of the buds attempt to shoot, so that the strength of the cuttings is dh ided to nourish 

 ^o many shoots, which must consequently be weaker than if only one of them grew ; 

 -whereas, by burying the whole cutting in the ground, the stip is all employed on one 

 single shoot, which consequently vvilTbe much stronger ; besides, the sun and air are 

 a|)t to dry that part of the cutting which remains above ground, and so often prevents 

 their buds from sliooting. 



Having placed the cutting into the ground, fill up the hole, pressing down tlie 

 earth close about it. Nothing more is necessary but to keep the ground clear fiooi 

 weeds until the cuttings begin to shoot ; at which time you should look over them care- 

 fully, to rub oft" any small shoots, fastening the first main shoot to the wall, whicii 

 should be constantly trained up, as it is extended in length, to prevent its breaking of 

 hanging down. I'hey must be frequently looked over, constantly rubbing oft" all late- 

 ral shoots which are produced ; and be sure to keep the ground clear from weeds, 

 which, if suft"ered to grow, will exhaust the goodness of the soil, and starve the cut- 

 tings. After this they will require no care till they begin to shoot, when you should 

 rub off" all weak dangling shoots, leaving no more than the two protluced from the two 

 eyes of the last year's wood, which should be fastened to the wall or arbour. 



When the fruit is all gathered, vines should be pruned, which forwards the succeed- 

 ing crop. Vines rarely produce bearing shoots from wood more than one year okl ; 

 and great care should be taken in pruning to leave plenty of this wood. The bearing 

 shoots should be left with four eyes each if more are left the fruit will be poor. Tlie 

 -cut should be made just above the eye, and sloped backward from it, that, if it bleed, 

 the juice may not lun upon the bud. When the vines are shooting, all the shoots 

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