70 Grape Culture. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

 ON RAISING NEW VARIETIES FROM SEED. 



THIS is rather an interesting operation. Select the bunch you 

 wish to cross-fertilise. Clip away the flowers all but three or 

 four that are not yet in bloom ; take off the capsule as soon 

 as it will come without damaging the remainder of the flower. 

 Remove the stamens, and, having collected the pollen from 

 your choice male parent, place it on the stigma with a camel 

 hair brush or such like instrument. Cover with tiffany to 

 prevent any other pollen corning into contact. Repeat this 

 operation of pollination about three times and your berries 

 will soon begin to swell. When ripe, gather and sow. (See 

 Chapter on propagation). It is best to let the seed remain in 

 the fruit till November, and then clean and keep in sand until 

 spring, or sow in pans when gathered. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

 JUDGING. 



ANY expert grape grower who has distinguished himself at the 

 leading exhibitions is, without doubt, capable of judging 

 grapes, either by new or old methods. The latter is simply 

 by placing the prize card on the exhibit. This is what I call 

 " please the eye system " of judging, and may do for single 

 or double bunches, but not for collections. When collections 

 consist of 6, 8 or 12 bunches, and in such there may be seven 

 or eight competitors, the best possible method of judging is 

 essential. And here again I emphasise what I have already 

 said, that a judge must needs himself be an expert grower and 

 successful exhibitor. Imagine anyone growing grapes with 

 months of ceaseless care and attention, and staging them, 

 to be judged by unqualified judges. Now, in judging collec- 

 tions, the first thing to do is to go over each collection, com- 

 mencing with Muscat of Alexandria, giving the maximum and 

 minimum number of points to each bunch respectively in all 



