GRAPES 41 



will show for fruit about the fourth leaf, and a selection only of 

 these must be left, otherwise should such young vines be per- 

 mitted to carry all they produce, the strain would be such that 

 they would inevitably fail and their constitution be ruined. Six 

 or eight bunches should be the limit allowed, and even those 

 would be a heavy tax, calling for some help by feeding the roots. 

 We must not lose sight of the fact that for two more years the 

 chief consideration must be the building up of the vine, so that 

 the crops taken are of quite secondary importance. 



As the fruit is setting, a mulching of cow manure should be 

 placed on the bed, and this will prove a great help. More 

 water will be needed this year, the increased root area and the 

 greater amount of foliage using up probably double the amount 

 required during the previous year. 



Keep a keen watch on ventilation, and syringe daily when 

 closing the vents. 



THINNING 



The next operation of prime importance is that of thinning 

 out the berries. Every healthy truss will produce almost three 

 times as many berries as it can bring to perfection a self- 

 immolating propensity it is difficult to understand, because if 

 we notice a bunch which has been overlooked and not thinned, 

 we find the berries firmly and immovably jambed, wedged so 

 solidly together that the inner ones rot and communicate the 



FIG. ii 

 Natural Bunch The same after Thinning 



rot to the whole bunch. There is no question as to when the 

 thinning should be taken in hand, which should be first when 

 the berries are the size of a sweet-pea seed, and again when they 

 are the size of a marrow-fat. It is a far more difficult matter 

 to set down in words as to how much they should be thinned, 



