CULTIVATION OP THE VINE. 161 



because, where the plant retains for a long time 

 its blossom, it is a sure indication that it is not in 

 a thriving condition. The better plan is to ob- 

 serve a just medium in performing this work, 

 which I consider to be about the time the blos- 

 som begins fairly and fully to cpen ; but it will 

 be easily perceived that this is a moment re- 

 quiring an unusftal degree of care and attention, 

 as much mischief may be done on the young and 

 tender shoots, by incautiously moving amongst 

 the vines when in flower. This labour should 

 on no account be performed whilst the vines are 

 wet from rain or dew; this must be carefully ob- 

 served, as by neglecting such a salutary precau- 

 tion, the chance of loosing a part of the seasons' 

 product will be incurred. 



Such is more especially the case with the de- 

 licate fruits, the small yellow grape, for ex- 

 ample. 



There are some vine dressers who strip or 

 weed their vines in a most cruel manner. It is 

 much better that the plants should be suffered to 

 retain all their foliage, than to act thus injudi- 

 ciously, or perform the work without being aware 

 of the consequences to follow the skill, or want 

 of it, under which this important labour shall be 

 executed. To the experienced vine dresser, it is 

 perfectly well known, that the best nourishment 

 of the vine is drawn through the medium of the 

 foliage;* yet even among us, where the cultiva- 

 tion is so well understood, there are nevertheless 



* The Swiss cultivator considers the foliage as the lungs of 

 the plant, by which it inhales the atmosphere, absorbing the 

 dews thereby. TRANS. 



o 2 



