THE GEAPE. 



233 



A fine rain to-day. The month has been rather 

 cool ; several nights the past week the earth 

 has frozen slightly. The grapes are now swell- 

 ing finely. Continue to thin the fruit daily. 



The process of thinning the berries continued, 

 taking out some almost every day, and always 

 the smallest. 



Abundance of air given in fine weather. 



VText year's bearing wood carefully laid in. 



The month of May has been, as a whole, unfa- 

 vourable for the grape. Much rainy and dull 

 weather : we have been obliged to light fires 

 every night, and occasionally in the day. The 

 grapes have been often looked over and thinned, 

 yet there is no doubt the scissors have been used 

 too sparingly. 



All lateral branches cut clean out. 



Bunches supported by tying to the trellis. 



The grapes have now completed their stoning pro- 

 cess, and a few near the furnace swelling off. 

 No mildew, or disease of any kind, has yet been 

 discovered, and the vines generally have the 

 most healthy and vigorous appearance. The 

 weather has been dull and disagreeable, which 

 has rendered fires necessary. 



A few of the black Hamburgs and Zinfindals, 



