OR APE. 87 



be reason to fear thai the uppermost bud of the proper shoot 

 will start. 



Divest the plants of all damped and decayed leaves as they 

 appear, as such will sometimes occur in continued hazy 

 weather, arid be particularly cautious not to injure the leaf 

 that accompanies the bunch, for if that is lost, the fruit will 

 be of little value. 



" Every one of penetration and discernment," Nicol ob- 

 serves, " will admit the utility of thinning the berries on 

 bunches of Grapes, in order that they may have room to 

 swell fully ; and, farther, that of supporting the shoulders of 

 such clusters of the large growing kinds as hang loosely, 

 and require to be suspended to the trellis or branches, in 

 order to prevent the bad effects of damp or mouldiness in 

 very moist seasons. Of these, the Hamburgh, Lombardy, 

 Royal Muscadine, Raisin, St. Peter's, Syrian, Tokay, and 

 others, should have their shoulders suspended to the trellis, 

 or to the branches, by strands of fresh matting, when the 

 berries are about the size of garden peas. At the same time, 

 the clusters should be regularly thinned out with narrow 

 pointed scissors, to the extent of from a fourth to a third 

 part of the berries. The other close-growing kinds, as the 

 Frontignacs, Muscats, &c., should likewise be moderately 

 thinned, observing to thin out the small seedless berries only 

 of the Muscadine, Sweet Water, and flame-coloured Tokay. 

 In this manner, handsome bunches and full-swelled berries 

 may be obtained ; but more so, if the clusters or over-bur- 

 dened plants be also moderately thinned away. Indeed, 

 cutting off the clusters, to a certain extent, of plants over- 

 loaded, and pushing weak wood, are the only means by which 

 to cause them to produce shoots fit to bear fruit next year ; 

 and this should be duly attended to, so long as the future 

 welfare of the plants is a matter of importance." 



The preceding observations may be considered as fallin-g 

 short of what may be expected on the cultivation of so im- 

 portant a fruit as the Grape ; but it is introduced into thia 



