122 WEEKLY CALENDARIAL REGISTER. 



pear evident for the following reasons; the fruit is 

 perfected chiefly through the influence of the atmos- 

 phere, as the secret fluid attracted by it from the wood 

 is comparatively crude in its nature when it enters the 

 berries : being then distributed through the almost in- 

 numerable vessels, which are most appropriately, and, 

 indeed, most beautifully arranged just within the skins 

 of the berries, it there becomes gradually elaborated 

 by the process of evaporation and absorption, which are 

 incessantly carried on through the combined agency of 

 light and air, stimulated by the direct rays of the sun^ 

 And in proportion to the energy with which these pro- 

 cesses are conducted, will the berries increase in size 

 and flavour. To generate an energetic action of 

 these processes, therefore, it is necessary that the 

 entire convex surface of every berry should be ex- 

 posed to the unimpeded influence of the grand agents 

 above-mentioned ; and this cannot be effected without 

 reducing the number of berries on each bunch by the 

 aid of the scissors, to such an extent that they shall not 

 touch each other until fully ripened. Further, it must 

 be borne in mind, that the str.ength of the vine is not 

 put in requisition in creating the pulp of the berries, 

 but in perfecting the seed. The former is the substance 

 on which the latter feeds ; the number of seeds, there- 

 fore, which the vine has to nourish, constitutes in reali- 

 ty the true measure of its task. And to render the 

 performance of this task as easy as possible, it is not 

 enough that the bunches be reduced in number, so as 

 to bring the whole crop within a given weight, but it is 

 also equally necessary that the number of berries should 

 be lessened ; by which operation, not only is great re- 

 lief given to the vital powers of the vine during the 

 maturation of the fruit, but the value of the crop be- 

 comes thereby doubled, and in many instances quad- 

 rupled, in consequence of the extraordinary increase in 

 the size and flavour of the berries. 



