THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 95 



from the sunbeams until it is half ripe, and then bareness* is 

 requisite to bring it to maturity." — The Complete Grardener, 

 etc., by 31. De la Quintiney, London, 1719, page 157. 



" Nets may be used to prevent birds eating the fruit, and 

 vials with water and honey, or a little sugar, hung upon the 

 branches, will induce flies to drown themselves, which, (when 

 a considerable number are in,) must be emptied, and renewed 

 as before." — Ibid, 157. 



When ripening off, if the berries do not swell or color well, 

 and, in black varieties, are of a pale red color, feeling soft, 

 if touched, you may be assured the vines are not strong 

 enough to ripen the crop ; cut off the lower part of the bunch 

 of some, and the whole of others, selecting, for this purpose, 

 the bunches which are the most affected in this way, and re- 

 ducing the quantity on the vine one tliird, or one half, and 

 do so as soon as you suspect this is the case ; by these means, 

 you may save the residue of the crop, and, at the same time, 

 relieve the vine from the exhaustmg effort of attempting to 

 mature it. This is a trouble caused by overcropping, and is 

 entirely distinct from what is usually termed shanking ;f for 

 this disease, after it has once taken hold of the bunch, there 

 is no remedy ; the part affected must be lost. In September, 

 cut out all the laterals from the new cane, as directed last 

 year. 



* The leaves on the shoot bearing the fruit must never, on any consideration, be 

 removed ; if necessary to let in air and light, prune out the laterals and cut back to 

 the bmich. The whole tenor of this remark is only applicable to European culture ; 

 with our American varieties, this practice would be highly improper. It would be 

 better never to prune or stop a shoot than to do thus. I would advise the opposite, 

 and say, if a shoot is very vigorous, and is drawing an undue share of the sap to 

 itself, to the detriment of other parts of the vine, check it by stopping the end of the 

 branch, to promote the growth of the weaker ones. 



t Shrivel or shanking in grapes is caused by a disease on the skin of the foot- 

 stalk, or stem of the bunch ; in either case, it causes the fruit beyond the affected 

 spot to shrivel, turn acid, and become worthless. When only the foootstalk is in- 

 jured, it is termed shrivel ; when a shoulder, or part of the main bunch, it is said to 

 be shanked. When it first appears, it is of a brown color, and is on one side of the 

 stem only ; at this time, removing the spot witli a sharp knife will often stay its pro- 

 gress ; when this is not done, it will soon spread around and meet, thus girdling the 

 part affected, and as completely destroying the fruit beyond, as if it had been cut otf. 



