1876.T 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



185 



grapes by means of the genial atmosphere pro- 

 vided by a istock of fermenting manure within 

 the house; hardly had the flower peduncles 

 grown to anything like their full length when, 

 probably in sympathy with dormant and dis- 

 eased roots, they began to twist round any 

 branch or twig they came in contact with, and 

 to run into tendrils. He soon found that when 

 the twists were removed the tendency to run 

 into tendrils was arrested. This was one step 

 gained. Partly to better the lesson thus learned, 

 and with a view of confirming the dependent 

 position, small weights were attached to the 

 bunches. The result was as gratifying as it was 

 at first unexpected. The untwisting and the 

 weight together soon checked the formation of 

 tendrils, and forced the sub-peduncle into its 

 proper character of a bunch of grapes. When 

 I lived with my brother at Putteridge Bury, 

 there was an old vinery with the roots in a bad 

 state, or very deep. The grapes in this were al- 

 ways in danger of bolting off into mere tendrils, 

 unless weighted into fruit bearing, and we used to 

 weight each with small pebbles as soon as they 

 fairly showed. If any were missed, or if the 

 pebble or other weight slipped its tie, these 

 bunches ran oflF into tendrils, while I do not re- 

 member an instance of one sufficiently weighted 

 doing likewise. Since then, during more than 

 twenty years' practice, I have weighted many 

 suspicious-looking bunches, and always with the 

 result of checking the degeneration of a fruit 

 branch into a mere tendril. In this reversion or 

 degradation of parts there is often a great variety 

 of structurer The flower-stalks, soon after they 

 are formed, often branch ofl" into a number 

 of hooked semi-tendrils, resulting, of course, in a 

 finiitless state ; on the other hand, true tendrils 

 that show flowers on the extremities or other 

 parts — for these flowers are by no means con- 

 fined to the extremities — set and swell their 

 fruit better if also weighted. 



" It is well also to note that the weighting of 

 the sub-peduncles is not nearly so effectual, un- 

 less the twist is carefully undone. There can be 

 no doubt that that single revolution dominates to 

 a large extent the character of the entire branch 

 beyond, and confirms in a powerful manner its 

 tendrilward tendencies ; in fact, unless that circle 

 is undone, it is comparatively useless to attempt 

 to lure back the runaway bunch into fruitfulness. 

 I have even seen such sub-peduncles weighted 

 above the twist suddenly snap off" and the re- 

 maining portions run off" into true tendrils. 



More wonderful still, perhaps, as showing s()nic-' 

 thing akin to a sympathy of parts, and like dom- 

 inating like, the success of weighting is enhanced 

 by removing the tendril. I have also noticed 

 that the tendency of the sub-peduncle to form a 

 tendril is increased in proportion to the strength 

 and length of the tendril, and would, therefore, 

 sti'ongly recommend the removal of all tendrils 

 at the earliest possible moment. 



"The effect of weight in promoting fruitfulness 

 is further seen in the fact, that as soon as any 

 fruit sets and begins to swell on the sub-peduncle, 

 the formation of tendrils ceases. The natural 

 weight of the berries brings back the wayward 

 branch, as it were, to its proper business — that oi 

 fruit hearing. So strong is this check that I 

 have seen tendrils on the fruit-bearing branch 

 attempt to form flowers after the berries began 

 to swell. The same fact is strikingly illustrated 

 by the second flower on Muscat grapes. I never 

 remember to have seen one of these sub-pedun- 

 cles run into a tendril ; on the contrary the ten- 

 dril is often wanting, or changed into a part of 

 the bunch, thus converting it into a cluster. 

 Another singular fact has often been observed in 

 regard to these, and that is, that however imper- 

 fectly the first crop may have set or swelled off, 

 the second or third successional crops invariably 

 set and swell well. It would be interesting to 

 prove what effect the weight of the first crop 

 had on the freer setting and more rapid swelling 

 of the second. 



" That weight has something to do with it is 

 almost demonstrated, else how can the facts al- 

 ready advanced be explained? — or the additional 

 one that by weighting the blossoms of cucumbers 

 and melons we promote the setting, and stimu- 

 late the swelling of the fruit ? I have adopted 

 this course with cucumbers hundreds of times, 

 and always with uniform success. 



" Now, in almost evpry case the weighted fruit 

 only will swell, and if some of the others attempt 

 to follow its lead it will nevertheless outstrip 

 them all. Pressure is as potential as a weight 

 suspended, and I have often covered over shy 

 setting melons with an inch or two of wan* 

 soil at the period of fecundation, and the progre«« 

 they have made has been quite astonishing and 

 not to be accounted for by the increase of heat 

 or humidity, to whi«h the buried fruits were 

 subjected. The stimulus to the growth was so 

 great, that if the fruits were carefully exposed 

 to the light afterwards, they receive such a stim- 

 ulus as to ripen a week or more in advance of 



