57 



given. As the new growth develops all weak, ill-placed, crowded or 

 defective shoots should be rubbed off As the buds begin to open the 

 f< rtile ones can be distinguished from the barren ones by the fluffy red 

 tip that appears in the centre It is wise economy when th re is mo -e 

 than one cluster on one shoot to remove one of them. The blossom 

 nearest the main stem will give the most shapely, compact bunch, the 

 flowers further away will give a looser but larger bunch As soon as 

 growth has be n made of about four or five leaves beyond the retained 

 cluster, the cane s'louldbe stopped, and all laterals kept in check so 

 as to concentrate everything on the production of fruit 



The next important duty is thinning out the young grapr s as soon 

 as possible after the fruit has set. Some varieties give \'«Me trouble 

 in this direction. Muscat of Alexandria well require a light thinning ; 

 Muscat Hamburgh requires none, but Grros Colman and a host of others 

 require from fifty to s^-venty per cent, of the set berries to be thinned 

 out. The larger number is the safer. Few amateurs have the cour- 

 age to go this length, and when too late to mend matters they are sorry. 



The operation should be performed with a pair of clean, sharp, fine- 

 pointed scissors, and should be repeated when the fruit is about the 

 size of a pea. On no ace unt must the cluster be taken in the hand, 

 but with a smooth bit of wood as fine as a match, and about six inches 

 long, lift up and open the bunch so that the interior berries may be 

 reached and cut out A bone crochet needle with the hooked point 

 removed docs nicely. Tlie principal thing to be aimed at is to leave 

 just so much fruit evenly distributed over its entire surface as will 

 make a compact bunch when fully grown, but leaving room for the 

 shapely development of each individual grape. 



THYMOL. 



Its Use for the Treatmknt of vermicious Diseases of Houses. 

 By H H. Cousins, MA. (Oxon.) F.0.8. (Island Chemist.) 



Thymol is the most efficient remedy for the various forms of worms 

 and nematodes that attack the horse. The writer has tested it in Ja* 

 maica with gratifying results and thinks it worthy of the attention of 

 all horse owners in the island. 



Bots are a frequent cause of lack of condition in our horses in Ja- 

 maica and other types of vermicious pests are undoubtedly of frequent 

 occurrence. 



Thymol has a marked taste and smell and special measures are ne- 

 jcessary to secure its successful administration 



For horses we have found it most satisfactory to dissolve the thymol 

 in rectified sp rits und to stir up the solution with ten times us much 

 sugar. By evaporation at the heat of boiling water, the spirit is 

 driven off and a uniform mixture of thymol and sugar is obtained. 

 This can be easily administered by mixing it with ground corn or even 

 stirring it up with the usnal feed of corn or oats. The dose recom- 

 mended by F. V. Theobald* has been found quite satisfactory, both as 

 regards efficiency and freedom from hurt to the horse :— viz., 15 grains 

 of th3^mol morning and evening for two succe-sive days. In the 



♦Economic Entomology, p. 484. 



