i88i.] NOTES ON THE VINE. 275 



qiience is, that every one of them is weak in growth, and the Grapes 

 deficient in size of bunch ; and so long as this practice is continued, 

 the Vines become weaker year after year, until they cannot be consid- 

 ered to be in a satisfactory state. Of course, when the spurs are far 

 apart, two or three shoots may be taken from each, but they should be 

 trained in opposite directions, and not crowded closely together, as is 

 the case with those we have just been objecting to. Stopping each 

 shoot two joints beyond the bunch is advice often given, but we are 

 being convinced that in practice this is oftener wrong than right, 

 especially if the stopping is persisted in after the first time. Vines 

 which are the least inclined to degenerate will never improve under 

 this system, but they will go back annually. On the other hand, sickly 

 Vines may be vastly increased in health and vigour if they are allowed 

 to make an extra proportion of wood and leaves. We would rather 

 have them with two feet than one foot of wood beyond each bunch. 



Vine -wood closely stopped appears to ripen much earlier at the 

 base than when allowed to run out. We have seen shoots under 

 such circumstances begin to have a brownish hue before the berries 

 were thinned, and in their case the fruit always ripened before the 

 berries were of any great size. With plenty of growth this does not 

 occur so prematurely ; and as to colour, I am of opinion that all Grapes 

 except Muscats will finish much more perfectly under rather a dense 

 shade than under the influence of more light. It is surprising the deep 

 colour and rich bloom Hamburgs and others will assume when the 

 rays of the sun are prevented by the leaves from ever reaching them. 

 Some growers never stop their lateral growths after the fruit begins 

 to colour, but we leave them alone a considerable time before this ; 

 and should they become such a mass as to interfere with the ripening 

 of the wood in autumn, a few of these can be removed then without 

 injury; and allowing the shoots a good deal of latitude has not the 

 same disadvantages as allowing a crowd of stems to grow from each 

 spur. At the present time Vine - shoots require stopping in every 

 vinery, and the operation is one of no little importance. Thinning 

 the fruit is another seasonable subject which must be attended to before 

 it is too late. Many rules are given as to the number of bunches to 

 leave on each rod, but all such may be right in one case and wrong in 

 ten. This all depends on the size of the bunches and the condition of 

 the Vines ; and the manner the crop finished last and former years, if 

 taken carefully into consideration, will offer safer guidance than any 

 which an outsider could give as a rule. In thinning the berries from 

 the bunches, no mistake can be made, provided this is not overdone 

 at first; and this will hardly be the case if half the berries are clipped 

 out soon after they are well set, finally thinning them when 

 about the size of Peas. All thinning later than this stage should be 

 avoided, as the bloom forms on Grapes from the very first ; and those 

 who wish to have it untarnished should bear this in mind. By a little 



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