OP THE VINE. 29 



bearing, several vines remarkably vigorous in growth, 

 and which had been, for three years previously, 

 closely pruned, were in the first place selected for 

 trial, for the purpose of discovering that quantity. 

 That point having been ascertained, it was intended 

 then to select, in every succeeding year, a fresh set of 

 vines, and to reduce, annually, the weight of fruit to 

 be borne by each of them, until the actual quantity 

 which any vine, in proportion to the circumference 

 of its stem, can perfectly mature without injury to 

 its vital powers, was correctly ascertained. 



In accordance with this intention, the vines first 

 selected, as above mentioned, were pruned in the 

 autumn of 1825, and as much bearing- wood retained, 

 as was supposed would produce sufficient fruit, either 

 to kill them, or cripple them for many years to come. 

 The number of buds retained on each vine, and the 

 circumference of its stem, were carefully registered ; 

 the ensuing summer of 1S26 afibrded a remarkably 

 fine vintage, and was, therefore, a highly favorable 

 year for trial. 



To describe the results, which with little variation 

 were the same in all, one vine may be advantageous- 

 ly selected. This was a white muscadine, in the 

 eighth year of its age, and, like all the rest, in the 

 highest bearing-condition possible. It produced in 

 the following spring an abundant supply of vigorous 

 bearing-shoots, and showed seventy-eight bunches of 

 fine grapes, the produce of twenty-nine buds, retained 

 on two horizontal right and left shoots. As the 

 season advanced, the shoots extended themselves 

 rapidly, the bunches of fruit increased in size, and 

 the vine thrived as well as usual, seemingly quite 

 unconscious of the task it shortly had to perform. 

 Blossoming being over, and the fruit set, the trial of 

 strength commenced. On the first of July many of 

 the bunches measured eleven inches from the shoul- 

 ders to the extremities, and when matured, would 

 have weighed a pound and a half each. They hung 

 3* 



