THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 23' 



A NOTE ON CROPPING AND THINNING GRAPE VINES. 



[F the Floral Wobld has many readers as thoroughly 

 interested as the writer in grape-growing-, which is one 

 of the most fascinating of all pursuits connected with the 

 garden, no excuse will be needed for the insertion of 

 some remarks thereupon. My experience extends no 

 further back than five years ; but during that time, I have not only 

 observed closely, but have also read all the works upon the subject 

 I could procure, and have looked in vain for instructions upon two 

 important points : viz., the crop it is safe to take from a vine ; and 

 directions for thinning the berries. Granting that it is difficult to 

 give definite rules, on account of the vines being of different degrees 

 of strength, having larger or less surface for foliage, or being planted 

 in borders of different sizes, I may state that my experience has led 

 me to the following practice on these points : — 



Pirst, as to cropping. One lateral only should be grown on 

 each spur on a stout rod (five years from planting, seven years 

 from bud) ; if forty laterals can be counted, it is safe to leave 

 twenty good sized bunches, that is bunches measuring from eight to 

 twelve inches long from the shoulder to the extreme point. With 

 regard to thinning, varieties such as Black Ham burghs, Mill Hill 

 Hamburghs, Buckland Sweetwater, and White Prontignans, may 

 be safely thinned when the size of small peas ; and my practice is 

 this : — For two inches at bottom of bunch, leave one berry only on 

 a stem ; for the next two inches, two berries may be left ; the next two 

 inches, three berries. Above these come the shoulders, to be treated 

 in like manner ; viz, one, two, and three berries according to length. 

 If these rules are observed, the bunch should not be touched again 

 until the berries are the size of large peas, when the shoulders and 

 the bunches of three berries should be properly tied out with 

 narrow shreds of strong bast. Do not use lead wire ; take care not to 

 raise the shoulders above the horizontal. After this, nothing should 

 touch these precious berries until gently taken by the stalk and 

 pressed to the lips of the fortunate individual who is to feast upon 

 the delicious morsel. Lady Downes, the Muscats, and Trentham 

 Black I find must be left longer before thinning, it being more 

 difficult to discern which berries will come to maturity. The two 

 former appear to have a habit of not stoning properly, which I 

 suppose to be caused by want of sufficient heat at flowering-time, 

 in consequence of their being grown with the more hardy kinds. 

 These should not be thinned so early as the others, but they must be 

 thinned upon the same plan, and at one operation. By this method 

 of procedure, not only are nice clean-looking bunches produced, 

 as when thinned early the young stems die away without decaying, 

 but all the sap is utilized, and large berries perfectly covered with 

 their lovely bloom are secured. 



: Thanking you for guidance upon this and many other subjects, 

 I would yet put an inquiry to grape-growers with respect to shank- 

 ing. For two or three years out of my five, shanking of a few 



