320 VILLA GAPtDENING PART iv 



as it enables us to give a longer period of rest. It resembles allow- 

 ing a person to lie in bed till the last moment, then pull him out, give 

 him no time to rub his eyes, but push him into the battle at once. 

 Good results are obtained in this way, and probably in the future 

 it will be more generally adopted. It is as well to know something 

 about the character of the vines before we decide which course to 

 follow, as severe forcing may perhaps run weakly vines out ; and 

 some will say that it is better to get rid of them and start afresh, 

 or other-ttdse lift and replant. I shall have something further to 

 say about the renovation of old vines in a future chapter. I will 

 only add now that vines are more manageable in this respect than 

 any other fruit — Pines excepted ; and I am not sure that I need 

 except any, for I have seen vines pulled out with the lack of care 

 which is generally showTi towards things we intend destroying, and 

 after they had lain upon the rubbish heap for a week a sudden 

 whim or a change of mind caused the vines to be planted in boxes, 

 in a low lean-to house, the boxes containing the roots being enclosed 

 in a bed of leaves, and that same season a good crop of well-coloured 

 Grapes was gathered in June. 



Thinnin(j Grapes. — Early Grapes need not be thinned quite 

 so much as late ones are. The latter are expected to hang for 

 some time after ripening, and moisture may probably lodge among 

 the berries if left too thick in the centre of the bunch. Thinning 

 Grapes, like many other matters in gardening, can only be done 

 really well by those who have had some experience of the vines in 

 question. There is so great a difference in constitution, vigour is 

 such a variable quality, and the size to which the berries may 

 attain depends so much upon condition, that until some knowledge 

 has been acquired the cultivator must to a certain extent be working 

 in the dark. It is true that there are indications which the man 

 of large experience understands, so that he can tell what the 

 coming crop will be ; and this experience also guides him in the 

 application of the right kind of stinudant to use for supplying what 

 is lacking in the border. The berries should be thuined whenever 

 it is ascertained which are taking the lead in the bunch. Some 

 always get an advantage over the others ; and it is best to leave 

 those, cutting out the weakly ones and such as have thin stalks. 

 In very nearly all cases with large-berried Grapes, such as Black 

 Hamburgs and Buckland's Sweetwater, two-thirds of the berries 

 may be cut out. In no case shoidd two bunches be left on one 

 shoot or branch, for one good bunch is of more value than two 

 inferior ones. Inferiority will be the result if over-cropping is 

 indulged in, — and leaving two bunches upon one branch may be 

 safely called over-cropping. Great care should be used in thinning 



