& i. 





ON VINERIES. 



BARBAROUS PRACTICE OF CUTTING OUT THE SURPLUS 

 SHOOTS OF VINES WHEN THEY ARE IN A GROWING 

 STATE. 



I consider this very bad cultivation. It is invariably 

 done to give light to grapes whilst they are colouring, 

 especially to Muscats, which require plenty of light to 

 enable them to come to perfection. 



I will assume there has not been sufficient time for 

 the gardener or amateur to look over the vines as often 

 as two or three times a week, in order to pinch off the 

 young shoots, both laterals and tendrils. The vines con- 

 sequently get into a wild state of growth, and all at 

 once the amateur or inexperienced gardener begins to 

 slaughter away, until he fancies there is sufficient light. 

 The result is, that the bunches of grapes are exposed 

 suddenly to the sun. The skins of the berries are 

 very tender through allowing so much surplus growth, 

 which previously kept every ray of the sun from them ; 

 and as a matter of course, scalding begins to take place. 

 This treatment has also a great tendency to bring about 

 rust, and is often the cause of a bad and unnatural 

 colour, and shanking wholesale. 



Pruning vines excessively whilst in a growing state 



weakens the constitution to such an extent, that they do 



not get over the shock for several years. My firm 



31 



