GRAPE VINES SETTING THE FRUIT. 



301 



Alexandria, Black Muscat, Mrs. Pince, and Lady Downe's. Madresfield Court requires 

 attention in fertilisation at the points of the bunches. Mrs. Pearson, and large 

 bunches of Gros Guillaume, also Syrian, should be brushed over so as to distribute the 

 pollen to every part. Shaking answers in most cases for all but the bad setters, and 

 no means should be neglected to insure a good set of fruit, otherwise the bunches 

 cannot be shapely or the crop satisfactory. Royal Muscadine, Black Hamburgh, 

 Alicante, Gros Maroc, Gros Colman, and Trebbiano are free-setting varieties. 



Vines in good health set their fruit the best, the plethoric and sickly the worst. 

 The all-important point is good wood, thoroughly ripened ; this can only be produced 



Fig. 91. FLOWEBS AND BERBTES OF THE GBAFB VINE. 



References ; R, flower casting the corolla or " cap," t : u, time and place of cutting off the stamens to prevent 

 natural and to effect cross fertilisation. S, flower after the " cap" is thrown off : v, stamens ; w, anthers ; x, ovary ; y, 

 stigma. T, flower prepared for cross-fertilisation : a, part to which the pollen is to be applied. U, flower with deflexed 

 stamens, bad setting. V, section of ovary : a, ovules perfect, the berries setting if fertilised with effective pollen. W, 

 section of ovary : b, ovules imperfect berries cannot set. X, berries showing by even swelling that they are fertilised. 

 Y, stoned berry. Z, berries badly set : c, stoneless ; d, with stones the dotted outlines indicate relative size of the 

 berries when ripe. A, section of stoneless berry. 



by affording the growths abundance of light, feeding the vines, and keeping the 

 foliage clean. The bunches for the coming year then form in the buds, without 

 which it is useless expecting flowers with the essential organs of fertilisation, and in 

 the absence of these, though bunches may form, there can be no fruit. 



Thinning Grapes. The berries are thinned to secure even-sized and large grapes. 

 Early thinning secures the best results ; when the work is deferred till the berries 

 press against each other, it can only be done slowly, and never well, while the then 

 large berries cut out represent so much loss of the vine's resources. Some varieties, 

 such as Lady Downe's, may have the flower buds thinned, taking out those with weak 

 footstalks, and the rest will be strengthened. Other varieties, such as Gros Colman 



