GRAPE THINNING bi 



Grape thinning should be begun as soon as tlie berries are known to lia\e 

 set perfectlx , which will be when they are about the size of small peas. As a 

 test, if a few bunches are thinned and the work then stopped for some days, 

 the bunches so thinned will be noticeabI>' ahead of the others, thus showing 

 plainly, in addition, the advantage of early thinning. 



Grape thinning is tedious work, and requires considerable practice before 

 it can be done with speed. The younger the man when he begins this work 

 the more readily will he be able to grasp the required experience. A novice 

 looking at a bunch just after thinning, when it appears to be a mere skeleton, 

 may think that too many berries have been cut away. A beginner seldom 

 cuts out enough berries at one thinning, while the experienced cutter will be 

 able to gauge the bunch the first time. 



Then, again, there are differences in varieties; some having short, stiff 

 stems, such as the close clustered varieties Black Alicante and Gros Colman. 

 Varieties of those types require more thinning than others which carry longer 

 fruit stems, such as Barbarossa. Sufficient berries should be thinned out so that 

 each individual berry has room in which to develop fully. At the same time, 

 the bunch, when fully ripe and cut from the vine, should retain its natural shape 

 just as it did when hanging on the vine. There is nothing more disappointing 

 than to have the bunches spread apart. Experience is here the best teacher and 

 the close observer will soon be able to figure out this important branch of the art. 



Grape thinning, though tedious, is interesting. The bunch must not be 

 handled or, at least, the berries must not be touched with the lingers. The 

 correct way is to hold the scissors in one hand and a small stick in the other, 

 either a straight stick or one with a small crotch at the end, so that the parts 

 of the bunch can be held more securely in thinning. The inexperienced oper- 

 ator who may happen to be assigned to this work side bj' side with an expert 

 who has been doing it for years, should not strive to keep up with the latter if 

 he wants to thin his bunches to the best advantage, but should rather go slow 

 at first. Speed will come only from practice. 



It is sometimes desirable to tie heavy shouldered bunches, and this 

 should be done with a small piece of raffia fastened to the largest shoulders and 

 eased up to the cross wires. This may be done before commencing to thin, as 

 it is then easier to operate around the bunch, but it is necessary only with extra 

 large shouldered fruit. The photographs will explain this work and give a 

 good idea as to how it should be manipulated. 



An expert thinner can go roughly o\er such free setting varieties as Black 

 Hamburg, Foster's Seedling, Alicante, and others of this type, at first cutting 

 two or three berries at a time, after which he ma\- adjust the bunch and thin 

 the rest out. The main object should be to cut away the majority of the berries 

 that are on the inside, also all the small berries or those which appear to be 

 imperfectly set; and then to thin the rest down to the correct space. Endea\or 

 to make the first thinning the first and last, but usually the bunches have to 

 be gone over for a second thinning. W hile it may seem a waste of time to go 

 over the work again, e\en an expert ma\- miss his calculations and find it necessary 

 to repeat the operation. 



