28 THE FORCING GARDEN. 



of air both night and day, it will be found the only 

 sure way of colouring Grapes. 



THINNING OUT THE BERRIES. 



There is no doubt that frequently too much of this 

 is done. In thinning out the berries care must be 

 taken so as not to maim the limbs too much, for if this 

 should happen the bunch will suffer from the check to 

 the free circulation of the sap to those berries left for 

 perfection. I think that some of the defects which 

 manifest themselves in various ways may be attributed 

 to this thinning out too much. There is no doubt 

 whatever but this is the chief cause why Grapes do not 

 colour so well as people frequently look for. 



There are some circumstances connected with Grape 

 growing under which too much thinning out of the 

 berries will conduce very much to a want of colour ; for 

 instance, through injudicious management of the early 

 forcing of the Grape, an imperfect admission of air or 

 bad air, insufficient light, an uncongenial state of the 

 roots, a want of moisture during the perfecting of the 

 berries, or a want of the sun's influence upon the 

 border or ground in which the vines are growing, &c. 

 where any or all of these circumstances meet together, 

 combined with too much handling and maiming of the 

 limbs of the bunch, the result will certainly be defect 

 in colour, shanking off, &c. 



The thinning out of the berries should take place 

 as soon as they are about the size of a Sweet Pea, not 

 before, nor much after ; and all the thinning out should 

 be done at once. 



