206 THE FLORIST. 



The application of fire-heat during the time the Vines are in bloom is 

 important to all kinds of Vines ; for notwithstanding that Hamburghs 

 and many other Vines will set their fruit without such assistance, yet 

 a better set is obtained by a little extra heat at the period of blooming, 

 as the atmosphere can more readily be made dri/, in which state the 

 fertilization of the embryo fruit is more surely effected ; and this con- 

 dition becomes imperative to insure a good set of Muscats, Dutch Sweet- 

 water, and a few other Vines, which rarely (through the irregular 

 setting of the fruit), form perfect bunches, without a temperature 

 ranging from 68^ to 75° being maintained, and the air of the house 

 being at the same time kept dry. 



When the berries are fairly set, and grown to the size of a very 

 small Pea, the bunches should be thinned out, having, however, first 

 gone over the Vines for the purpose of removing such bunches as may 

 appear too thick on the Vines ; a good deal of discretion on this point 

 must be left to the cultivator, who must judge by the vigour of the 

 Vines how many bunches they should carry. If in moderate strength, 

 ten or twelve bunches may be left, and more or less as the Vines are 

 above or below the standard, bearing in mind that it will be much safer 

 to undercrop than to overcrop them, which will in the end be sure to 

 undermine their vigour and entail subsequent disappointment, both in 

 the quality of the fruit and their permanent productiveness. The 

 thinning of the bunches should be effected by scissors on purpose, and 

 to the unpractised hand is a rather difficult operation, as the berries on 

 the bunches of the different Vines vary in size considerably, and there- 

 fore require thinning out accordingly ; Hamburghs and IMuscats, having 

 large berries, will require more than half of the berries being taken 

 away, if they have set well ; while Frontignans and Muscadines may 

 be left thicker on the bunch, as these kinds have smaller berries. In 

 thinning out the surplus berries, select the outside ones, and those with 

 the stoutest footstalks, as they usually swell to the largest size. The 

 shoulders or upper parts of the bunches of Hamburghs and some others 

 should be tied up, suspending them to the spur or trellis by strands of 

 soft matting ; this will make the bunches look larger and allow a larger 

 number of berries to be left. Great caution must be used in thinning, 

 not to handle the bunches more than is necessary, and the operator 

 should frequently wash his hands, as any rubbing of the bunches or 

 touching them with dirty hands will give the berries a greasy appear- 

 ance, and wull hereafter prevent them from forming that beautiful 

 bloom which is characteristic of well-managed, clean-grown Grapes. 

 The best way is, for the person thinning them to take hold of a berry 

 with one hand, for the purpose of more easily getting at the rest with 

 the scissors, and when the bunch is finished cut these berries out — the 

 rest will scarcely have been touched, if proper care has been taken. 

 Thinning out should, as nearly as is possible, be done at once, a little 

 practice will soon show the cultivator how many to take out ; for when 

 a second thinning is requisite, most likely the berries have grown con- 

 siderably, and when any quantity has to be removed it is greatly at the 

 expense of the crop ; besides, the bunches are never so handsome and 

 regular as \vhen finished off the first time, and therefore it is very 



