396 OF THE C U L T U' R E Part niJ 



•• branches entirely, as is often praftifed, the fruit will become hard, 

 *' and remain at a perfect ftand for three weeks, and fometimes will 

 •' never advance afterward, as I have feveral times obferved: there- 

 *' fore there cannot be too much care taken to keep them conftantly 

 *• in a kindly ftate of growth, as the Vignerons abroad well know, 

 W' though in England it is little regarded by the generality of garden- 

 ♦* ers, who, when their grapes fuffer by this negledl, immediately 

 *" complain of the climate, or the untowardnefs of the feafon,which 

 " is too often a cover for neglects of this nature. And here I can- 

 " not help taking notice of the abfurd pradice of thofe who pull off 

 " the leaves from their vines, which are placed near the fruit : in 

 " order to let in the rays of the fun to ripen them ; not confidering 

 " how much they expofe their fruit to the cold dews, which fall 

 *' plentifully in autumn, which, being imbibed by the fruit, greatly 

 ** retard it : befides, no fruit will ripen fo well when entirely 

 ** expofed to the fun, as when it is gently fcreened with leaves : 

 " and by the pulling off thefe leaves, which are abfolutely neceffary 

 ** to prepare the juices before they enter the fruit, the grofs parts of 

 " which are perfpired away by the leaves, the fruit muft either be 

 ** deprived of nourifhment, or elfe fome of the grofs particles will 

 "••enter with the more refin'd parts of the juice, and thereby render 

 ** the fruit worfe than it would otherwife be, were the leaves 

 " permitted to remain upon the branches : for if the weak dang- 

 ** ling fhoots are conftantly difplaced as they are produced, the fruit 

 " will not be too much fliaded by the leaves that are upon the bear- 

 ♦* ing branches. 



** When the fruit is ripe, if the ftalks of the bunches are cut 

 " half through a fortnight before they are gathered, it will caufe 

 " the juice to be much better, beeaufe there will not be near fo 

 " great a quantity of nourifhment enter the fruit, whereby the 

 " watery particles will have time to evaporate, and the juice will be 

 " better digefted. This is pradtifed by fome of the moft curious 

 " Vignerons in the South of France, where they make excellent wine., 

 " But if, after the bunches are cut, they are hung up in a dry room 

 " upon ftrings, fo as not to touch each other, for a month before 

 ^ they are preffedi it will alfo add greatly to the ftrength of the 

 ** #ine } beeaufe in that time a great quantity of the watery parts of 

 •* the juices will evaporate. This is a conftant prad:ice with fome 

 '* perfons who inhabit the Tirolefe, or the borders of Italy, where. 

 *^^ i§ made a moft delicious rich wine, as hath been attefted by 



"Dr. 



