THE PARLOR GARDENER. 135 



This last operation is as follows : When the 

 vine grows in good earth, in a good exposure, 

 and has been skilfully pruned, and when too 

 much fruit too many bunches has not been 

 left upon it, each blossom will produce its fruit. 

 As they expand the young grapes crowd each 

 other ; they get squeezed together, and pressed 

 out of shape ; the air and light can get only to 

 those on the outside of the bunch. The conse- 

 quence is, that the bunch has not half the value 

 at market that it would have, had the matter been 

 differently managed. Do you know, ladies, what, 

 in order to avoid this misfortune, is done by the 

 wives and daughters of the gardeners of Tho- 

 mery ? Thomery is a little village where those 

 unrivalled grapes are produced, which are sold at 

 Paris under the name of " grapes of Fontaine- 

 bleau." These women, each armed with a pair of 

 pointed scissors, patiently cut out, from each of 

 those little bunches of which every distinct bunch 

 is composed, one young grape in every three. 

 And this is the way I now advise you to treat all 

 bunches produced by the vines on your terrace. 



You will, I acknowledge, have but four vines 



