BRIGHT ON GRAPE CULTURE. 27 



pbere excessively moist ; increase the lieat for a few 

 days, and air freely. 



As soon as the fruit shows, stop the shoots upon which 

 the bunches appear, at one or two joints beyond each 

 bunch intended to be preserved. Usually two or three 

 bunches show at the third, fourth and fifth joints. Se- 

 lect the best bunch on each shoot for preservation, giv- 

 ing the preference to the one nearest the main stem, 

 and remove all the rest. Stop all laterals, leaving one 

 new leaf every time, and continue to do so till the fruit 

 commences to stone ; then desist stopping altogether. 

 By this method of stopping, the leaves of the laterals 

 become almost as large as the main leaves, at least three 

 times the size they usually attain under some of the old 

 methods of summer pruning. One very large, well de- 

 veloped leaf is worth more to the vine than half a dozen 

 small, imperfect leaves. 



Thin the fruit as soon as you can see the herry form- 

 ed. This is highly important. Leave about seven 

 bunches on a vine two feet six inches high. Thin the 

 berries or bunches of free setting grapes very thin, say 

 leave only twenty per cent, of the berries ; a bunch of 

 four hundred berries, thin to sixty or eighty. You will 

 get as much weight of fruit, far superior in size, color, 

 and flavor, by so doing. 



Continue to pinch-in the laterals closely, leaving one 

 new leaf every time, as before directed, till the fruit 

 commences to stone ; then cease stopping and pinching 

 and encourage the growth of foliage as much as possi 



