KEEPING THE FRUIT : BOTTLING GRAPES. 65 



to so late a period, the operation of pruning may prove injurious to 

 the Vines. All fruit should, if possible, be removed from the Vines, 

 so that they may be pruned by the end of January. 



Bottling Grapes. Grapes may be cut from the Vines, and having 

 their stalks placed in bottles of water, may be kept in a fruit room 

 or other suitable apartment in almost as perfect a condition as those 

 that are allowed to hang on the Vines ; and where the quantity is 

 limited, this can be done at a very much less expense. Further, they 

 may thus be kept to a later period than it is possible to keep them on 

 the Vines. This is a method of keeping Grapes that has been for 



some time adopted in France, although 

 scarcely known in this country until 

 brought under notice by Mr. Eobinson, in 

 his Parks, Promenades and Gardens of 

 Pa-is, in 1869. It is now, however, 

 adopted, with modifications, in many estab- 

 lishments in this country. 



The originator of the system was M. 

 Rose-Charmeux, of Thomery, who had a 

 small room in his house fitted for the 

 purpose, fig. 27, from which light and air 

 Fig. 26. RAIL USED IN were? ag far ag poss ibl e , excluded. Fig. 26 

 FIXINU THE BOTTLES FOR ghowg the rail uged for fixing the bott i es> 

 GRAPES AT THOMERY. Qne of the begt exampleg of this met hod 



Yron Parks and Gardens of Paris. ^ ^ ^^ ^ Ferri fe re ^ near Paris, the 



seat of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, 



where M. Bergmann, the excellent gardener, has a Grape room 

 specially fitted for the purpose, and in this all the Grapes are placed 

 as they become ripe. Fig. 28 A is an illustration of the mode of 

 fixing the bottles as there adopted, and fig. 28 B shows the arrange- 

 ment of screens or partitions adopted within the room for the 

 convenient stowage of the bottles when in use. 



The ordinary fruit room will not answer for this purpose ; the 

 Grapes cannot be kept with other fruits, but require special provision 

 to be made for them. A thoroughly dry, close, dark room is what is 

 required a room wherein an equable temperature of 40 to 45 may 

 be maintained. Dryness is the first consideration, so if a separate 

 room has to be constructed, it should be built with hollow walls and a 

 double set of doors, in order to counteract the effects of fluctuations in 

 tempsrature and moisture. It should be heated, also, so that it may 

 be practicable to drive out damp when necessary, although much fire 

 heat is not required, for when once the Grapes are placed in the room, 

 the less frequently it is opened the better, as the admission of damp 

 cold air is to be avoided. 



The Grapes intended to be thus kept ought to be quite ripe, and 

 should be cut with a considerable portion of the shoot attached. The 



