CHAPTER XIV. 





 WHEN GRAPES ARE RIPE. 



ONE of the most important parts of an ele- 

 mentary work on the grape is that which relates 

 to the ripening of the fruit, more especially 

 when that work regards the subject from the 

 stand-point of food. The novice should be 

 furnished with so much knowledge as will 

 enable him to know when his grapes are ripe, 

 and in what ripeness consists ; indeed, it is 

 equally important to the grape grower and the 

 grape consumer. Such knowledge is important 

 to the grape grower, whether he purposes using 

 the fruit for his own table, sending it to mar- 

 ket, or making it into wine. For all these 

 purposes, it is essential that the fruit should be 

 ripe; and we hope that all who read these 

 pages will be too conscientious to use grapes 

 for food until they have at least acquired a 

 tolerably good degree of ripeness, and in time 



