WEEKLY CALENDARIAL REGISTER. 109 



knowledge of the extent of the powers of maturation 

 possessed by the vine depends entirely the quality of 

 the crop when perfected. Now, the primary object of 

 every cultivator must undoubtedly be, to obtain every 

 year in succession the most valuable crop possible ; 

 and the qualities that confer value on a crop of grapes, 

 are, first, high flavor ; secondly, large berries ; third- 

 ly, large h^ inches ; and in proportion to the degree in 

 which these three grand requisites are combined, will 

 the crop become really valuable. And, that neither 

 high flavor, nor large-sized berries, can be produced 

 without reducing the number of them on the bunches, 

 will appear evident for the following reasons; — the 

 fruit is perfected chiefly through the influence of the 

 atmosphere, as the secret fluid attracted by it from 

 the wood is comparatively crude in its nature when it 

 enters the berries: being then distributed through the 

 almost innumerable vessels, which are most appropri- 

 ately, and, indeed, most beautifully arranged just 

 within the skins of the berries, it there becomes grad- 

 ually elaborated, by the processes of evaporation and 

 absorption, which are incessantly carried on through 

 the combined agency of light and air, stimulated by 

 the direct rays of the sun. And in proportion to the 

 energy with which these processes are conducted, will 

 the berries increase in size and flavor. To generate 

 an energetic action of these processes, therefore, it is 

 necessary that the entire convex surface of every 

 berry should be exposed to the unimpeded influence of 

 the grand agents above-mentioned; and this cannot be 

 eflectcd without reducing the number of berries on 

 each bunch by the aid of the scissors, to such an ex- 

 tent that they shall not touch each other until fully 

 ripened. Further, it must be borne in mind, that the 

 strength of the vine is not put in requisition in creat- 

 ing the pulp of the berries, but in perfecting the seed. 

 The former is the substance on which the latter 

 feeds ; the number of seeds^ therefore, which the vine 

 has to nourish, constitutes in reality the true measure 

 of its task. And to render the performance of this task 

 10 



