36 FRUIT-BEARING POWERS 



ultaneously in the current year, the result has uniform, 

 ly been that the weight of fruit has not exceeded the 

 proportion mentioned in the scale. I think it not un- 

 reasonable, therefore, to conclude, that the same pro- 

 portionate quantity will apply to every vine, whatever 

 may be the girth of its stem. 



No vine is taken cognizance of, until its stem mea- 

 sures three inches in girth, as, under that size, vines 

 ought never to be suffered to ripen nny fruit. This is 

 a rule that should be strictly adhered to in the man- 

 agement of young vines, for it may be safely asserted, 

 that for every pound weight of grapes extracted from a 

 vine before it has grown to that size, ten pounds will be 

 lost during the next five years, independently of the 

 very severe check which is given to its growth by pre- 

 mature bearing. But by husbanding its strength, till 

 its roots have multiplied sufficiently to provide a full 

 supply of nourishment, without suffering from exhaus- 

 tion, the plant commences its fruit-bearing life with a 

 degree of vigour which lays a sure foundation for its 

 future prosperity. 



It may be remarked, that, in general, vines are suf- 

 fered to bear a much greater quantity of grapes than 

 the above scale represents, but in all such cases it will 

 be found that they are not perfectly ripened. The 

 grand desideratum in grapes, when used as table fruit, 

 is flavour, and this is entirely regulated by the circum- 

 stances under which they are ripened. One of those 

 circumstances is the quantity of grapes suffered to re- 

 main and ripen, as compared with the strength of the 

 vine. The respective quantities mentioned in the scale 

 are such as every vine of the given girth of stem can 

 perfectly mature, but if these be exceeded, the flavour 

 will immediately begin to diminish, and the vine may 

 then be said to be overcropped. On the other hand, 

 although a less quantity of grapes may be matured by 



