110 THE GBAPE CULTUBIST. 



there is a sufficient number to enable a close observer to 

 distinguish the different varieties, however closely they 

 may be related. 



Tendrils. Tendrils are but a tortuous elongation 

 of the woody fiber of the stem, and they preserve their 

 vitality but one season. 



They are always situated directly opposite to a leaf, 

 and remain connected permanently to the stem until 

 they decay ; while the leaf is united only temporarily, 

 and drops off at the end of the season. In the wild vine 

 the tendril serves an important purpose, in assisting it 

 to climb ; in the cultivated vine, it being artificially sup- 

 ported, tendrils are no longer needed, and may be, in 

 part, cut off while young, as they are not only useless, 

 but will, if allowed to remain, often cause the vine to 

 become entangled, and produce confusion where order is 

 necessary. Fig. 35 / shows a portion of a vine with 

 tendril (A) attached, the end of the tendril in two divis- 

 ions, one considerably shorter than the other ; both of 

 these possess much interest when, instead of being ten- 

 drils, they are bunches of fruit. 



The first three or four tendrils produced in spring 

 upon bearing vines are but the peduncles, or flower- 

 stalks, of the thyrse of flowers, which eventually becomes 

 a bunch of grapes. But if the elements requisite to sup- 

 port the flowers and fruit are not supplied, or by acci- 

 dent the proper amount of light and heat is excluded, 

 then these peduncles will become tendrils. Therefore a 

 tendril may be said to be a barren peduncle, and a bunch 

 of fruit a productive tendril, for they may become either 

 under favorable circumstances. The divisions of the 

 tendril referred to above show a peculiar characteristic 

 in the formation of the bunch of fruit, which is seen in 

 most of our native, as well as in many of the European 

 varieties of grapes. The longer division becomes the 

 main body of the bunch, and the shorter becomes what 



