128 Fruits and Fruit- Trees. 



The vineyards best cared for present a quite unusual air 

 of neatness and finish. The vines are planted in rows 

 six feet apart. A single shoot is trained to a stake a 

 yard in height. As soon as it is strong enough to stand 

 alone, the stake is removed; the training of the branches 

 is then so conducted as to give six or seven beautiful 

 radiations of leafy shoot, which collectively produce, in 

 due season, from fifty to ninety bunches. If an occa- 

 sional prop should be needed, owing to the weight of the 

 fruit, this is supplied, but nothing more. 



Towards the end of July the fruit is ripe. The gathering 

 extends over three or four weeks, the bunches upon the 

 secondary shoots being somewhat later than those on the 

 primaries. In six or seven days after being laid to dry, 

 the berries begin to loosen themselves from the stalks, 

 and in ten or twelve days all are free. Originally the 

 bunches were laid out upon the bare ground, a piece 

 being specially smoothened and cleaned for the purpose. 

 Now the bunches are laid in wooden trays, six feet long 

 by a yard wide, and just deep enough, say three inches, 

 to hold a single layer. When the stalks have been 

 winnowed out, the fruit is trodden into barrels ready for 

 shipment. 



The botanical origin of this most interesting little fruit 

 would seem to have corresponded with that of the Sul- 

 tana. The diminution in the size of the berry ensued, 

 we must suppose, upon some special local conditions, 

 which led in the first instance to partially abortive flowers, 

 accompanied by failure of perfect seeds. The seedless 



