1000 



Gardening for Amateurs 



that is to say having one main stem, unless 

 the wall happens to be a low one, then two, 

 or even three, stems to each vine are better. 

 At winter pruning in January the shoots 

 that grew the previous year should be cut 

 back to within two buds of their base. In 

 spring a fresh shoot will start from each of 

 these buds ; only one of these is allowed to 

 develop, and the grower will naturally select 

 that which bears a bunch, or, if each has 

 embryo fruit, then the stronger shoot of the 

 two. As soon as it has formed two leaves 



proper size. If thinning is done correctly the 

 berries will just touch one another when they 

 have finished growing. All the very small 

 berries are first cut out, grape scissors, hav- 

 ing long pointed blades, being used. In the 

 course of a fortnight or three weeks the 

 bunches are again examined, and if the 

 berries appear at all crowded, the smallest 

 remaining are cut out. 



During dry, hot weather water the vines 

 every fortnight with manure water well 

 diluted with clear water. Even in dull 



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Gooseberry Caterpillars. 

 A1, Gooseberry Sawfly : A2, Caterpillar: A3, Cocoon. B1, Magpie Moth: B2, Caterpillar: B3, Cc 



above the bunch, pinch off the end of the 

 shoot, or, in other words, " stop " it, to direct 

 the energies of the vine towards the perfec- 

 tion of the buds at the base of the shoot and 

 the development of the fruit. All further 

 shoots that may grow during summer are 

 " stopped " when they have made two 

 leaves. The fruit-bearing shoots, or laterals 

 as they are called, should not be closer than 

 about 9 inches, and to ensure this it may 

 be necessary to remove some of the buds. 

 One bunch to each shoot is, as a rule, a 

 sufficiently heavy crop. Grape thinning, 

 that is, the removal of surplus berries, needs 

 attention, or the berries will not reach their 



weather, while the Grapes are swelling, they 

 will benefit by an occasional watering. The 

 fruit-bearing branches must either be nailed 

 to the wall or tied to a trellis placed against 

 the latter. 



Of varieties Reine Olga is the largest and 

 finest of the black varieties : this Grape is 

 juicy and sweet and of slight Muscat flavour. 

 In Black Cluster the bunches and berries are 

 smaller, but the variety is thin-skinned and 

 sweet. Brant is an early black variety, and 

 frequently ripens when other varieties fail. 

 Sweetwater, a yellowish - green early Grape, 

 has small round berries ; it is juicy, and the 

 flavour is refreshing. 



