WEEKLY CALENDARTAL REGISTER. 115 



wall. This precaution is very necessary to be taken 

 with respect to large bunches of grapes, in order that 

 they may hang as perpendicularly as possible, and 

 be thereby prevented from resting their whole weight 

 against the wall, which, when the berries are fully 

 ripe, would cause many of them to be bruised and 

 spoiled. 



The change which the pulp of the fruit undergoes, 

 at the completion of the ripening process, is highly 

 interesting. It is marked in all bunches that have 

 been properly thinned, by an extraordinary increase 

 in the size of the berries, in a short space of time ; 

 the natural consequence of the sadden expansion of 

 the pulp, arising partly from the seed being perfected, 

 and therefore no longer consuming any portion of it 

 for its nourishment; and partly from the continued 

 action of the solar rays on the full-sized berries. I 

 have frequently had berries of the Black Hamburg 

 sort, swell in size in the course of a few days, from a 

 circumference of two inches to one of three, being an 

 increase of one half 



23d. As the nights will now be getting longer 

 than the days, the cold will increase; in consequence 

 of which, the border must not be forked up any more 

 daring the remainder of the season. Keep the sur- 

 face of it, however, free from weeds, and from de- 

 cayed leaves, wliich latter, if suffered to accumulate, 

 will not only intercept the rays of the sun, bat also 

 serve as a harbor for the snails, and these vermin, if 

 not prevented, will do great damage to the frait, es- 

 pecially in showery weather. 



As the grapes are now rapidly approaching to ma- 

 turity, they will present a sight of the most gratifying 

 description. The beautiful symmetry of the berries, 

 the elegant form of the clusters, and the graceful 

 manner in which they are suspended from the branches, 

 are in strict unison with the delicious flavor of the 

 fruit, and challenge alike our grateful admiration. 



30th. Examine the bunches frequently, for the 

 purpose of cutting out injured and decayed berries, 



