130 WEEKLY CALENDAUIAL REGISTER. 



if any should appear. It is necessary, therefore, that 

 the bags should be made large, that they may be taken 

 off and put on again, with ease and facility. If the 

 bunches of fruit, however, be numerous, it will be 

 much easier, and better, indeed, to protect the vine 

 with a covering of bunting, or ieno, or of some other 

 fabric that is thin, and also open in its texture. But, 

 as the exclusion of air thus occasioned, will operate 

 injuriously with respect to the keeping of the fruit, if 

 the covering be continually kept on, it will be neces- 

 sary to remove it every night, and replace it in the 

 morning ; or, if it be temporarily nailed to the top of 

 the wall, which is the better way, it can be drawn up, 

 and let down again as circumstances may require. If 

 this be not attended to, it will be found that the cover- 

 ing, by excluding the air, will cause the fruit to lose its 

 flavour, and to decay. 



It must also be mentioned, that rats and mice are 

 very fond of grapes, and that when they attack them 

 they destroy a great quantity in a short space of time. 

 The visits of these vermin, though made generally in 

 the dark, may soon be detected, by laying, in the even- 

 ing, a linen or other cloth along the border close to the 

 wall, and directly under the fruit, and if it be attacked 

 by them in the night, their dung, dropped while con- 

 suming the fruit, will invariably be found on the cloth 

 in the morning. If it should appear that they infest 

 the fruit, prompt means must be taken to destroy them, 

 for they travel with the greatest facility over every 

 branch of the vine, from one extremity of it to the 

 other, and will, most assuredly, if not prevented, speedi- 

 ly devour the whole crop. Amongst the means which 

 may be resorted to, to ensure their destruction may be 

 employed with advantage, the laying of poison on the 

 branches contiguous to the fruit, and also the setting of 

 traps well baited with fresh toasted cheese, and secured 



