GRAPE VINES TJ5TDER GLASS. 259 



vineries, where there are no pipes, water should be freely 

 dashed all over the floor; this necessity for moisture 

 occurs during the whole period of the growth of the vine 

 until the fruit is beginning to ripen, except that at the 

 time the vines are in flower it must be discontinued, as a 

 dry atmosphere is best fitted for the proper fertilizing 

 action of the pollen. I have long believed the cause of 



RUST ON THE GRAPE 



is an excess of moisture at the time of the " setting " of 

 the fruit ; the " flower," the crop of petals, instead of 

 dropping off will, in a moist atmosphere, adhere to the 

 forming berry, and while being forced off by the growth 

 of the latter, it leaves its impression on the tender skin, 

 which increases in size as the berry grows and results in 

 the well known mark on the matured fruit called from its 

 appearance " rust." 



THHOONG. 



The grapes should be thinned while the berries 

 are not longer than peas ; if left until the bunches are 

 crowded, the process of thinning is not only much 

 slower but the berries are more apt to be bruised. I 

 have long been guided in thinning grapes by the fact 

 (and one I think not generally noticed) that the flowers 

 of the grape are produced in sets of three. In cases where 

 each of the three flowers form a berry, two may be safely 

 cut out in thinning ; but in many instances two only are 

 formed, and sometimes only one, which the operator must 

 take into consideration in thinning. With large bunches 

 it is necessary to cut away entirely from the heart of the 

 bunch many of these sets of three alluded to. The large 

 bunches of some of the varieties ought to be "shoul- 

 dered," that is, the shoulders, or loose and overhanging por- 

 tions of the clusters, are to be tied up from the main body 



