APPENDIX II. 371 



vintage is delayed in the centre and north of France, the higher 

 is the flavor of the grape. The first frosts of autumn, to which 

 it is very sensitive, should however be anticipated. The gather- 

 ing should take place in a dry time. Each cluster should be 

 taken by the stem, and detached by means of the pruning 

 shears. 



As the grapes are gathered they are deposited in little bas- 

 kets lined with vine leaves and fern. These baskets are 

 arranged on what is called a crotchet, or sort of hod, shown in 

 Fig. 102, which can be carried by one man to the storehouse, or 

 to the place where the grapes are packed for market. 



The following is the manner employed each year in the pre- 

 servation of a great quantity of grapes by the cultivators of 

 Thomery : 



First, a certain portion is retained on the trellis to the latest 

 possible moment. They choose the clusters from the two upper 

 cordons of the walls having a southern exposure. These grapes 

 are the least watery, and consequently the least susceptible to 

 cold. They guard them by sheltering them with leaves of 

 fern, and even with straw matting, and thus preserve them 

 until Christmas. The grapes which they wish to preserve still 

 later they treat in the following manner : Those which they 

 wish to retain till May are chosen from the poles, or the coun- 

 ter espaliers. The bunches are taken which have been subjected 

 to the thinning process and which are formed of the largest and 

 least crowded berries. They are cut a little before they are 

 completely ripe — that is to say, from the 25th of September to 

 the 15th of October. The grapes intended to be kept only till 

 March, may be taken from the espaliers, and are gathered from 

 the 1st to the 15th of November. 



The place where the grapes are kept is generally some room 

 or building connected with the house, and especially devoted to 

 this use. Shelves about 30 inches wide, placed one over the 

 other, cover the walls from floor to ceiling. In the middle of 

 the room, and 30 inches distant from the lateral shelves, ano- 

 ther series of shelves rises to the ceiling. These shelves are 

 composed of a frame of wood filled up with a grating of iron 



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