126 WEEKLY CALENDARIAL REGISTER. 



only be thereby actually retarded, instead of being hast- 

 ened, but the berries will, in consequence, never attain 

 their proper size or flavour. 



Bloom on the berries will begin to appear about this 

 time, in consequence of which the bunches must be 

 hereafter handled as lightly as possible, that no more 

 of it may be rubbed off, than can well be avoided. 



Continue to use the scissors freely in thinning the 

 berries, which must on no account be neglected, as, in 

 a few days, the operation will be of no use. Do not 

 suppose, that by thus continually reducing the number 

 of the berries, the weight of the bunches will be less- 

 ened, for quite the reverse will be the case ; if the thin- 

 ning be judiciously performed, every bunch will ulti- 

 mately weigh more than it otherwise would do, were 

 the whole of the berries suffered to remain. 



The grapes are now, what is technically called 

 "stoning;" that is, the seeds or stones enclosed in the 

 berries, being in the last stage of their growth, are in 

 the act of being perfected ; which when completed is 

 immediately followed by a change of the pulp from a 

 state of acidity to one of a sugary sweetness. During 

 this process of stoning, which lasts, in general, about 

 twenty-eight days, the berries appear to be at a stand 

 in their growth, and do not perceptibly increase in 

 size. 



September "2nd. Now pinch off the extremity of 

 every future bearing-shoot, about an inch beyond the 

 last joint, and nail the shoot firmly directly below that 

 joint. This operation, by stopping the sap, causes it 

 to accumulate in the buds, and thereby hastens the ma- 

 turation of the wood. The sooner, indeed, the future 

 bearers are thus stopped in their growth, the better, 

 but if done before this time, there is danger that the 

 buds will prematurely burst. 



As the berries are now about to make their last 



