196 Preserving Grapes through Winter and Spring. 



laths, two for each line of bottles. These laths are kept an inch 

 and a half or so apart by a bit of wood at each end 5 in the inner 

 one there are incisions made, into which the bottom of each little 

 bottle fits, and then the outer lath has a concave incision in which 

 the side of the bottle rests, so that, caught in the inner and leaning 

 firmly on the outer lath, it holds the stem and stout bunch quite 

 firmly. I thus particularize it from having seen other ways of doing 

 the same thing less neat and simple than this. Walking space was 

 left between each wall of grapes j for six or seven rows were arranged 

 one above another on both sides of each support. Fig. 60 shows the 

 insertion of the shoot and fixing of the bottle, and Fig. 61 the 

 structure of the upright. 



Charcoal is mixed with water, allowed to stand for some time, and 

 then the water is strained off to fill the bottles. But there can be no 

 doubt that to put a pinch of animal charcoal in each bottlewould prove 

 a better plan of guarding the water from any impurity from the 

 slight deposit of organic matter that might be expected ; at least, it 

 does not seem very clear how charcoal removed from the water be- 

 fore the vine-stem is put in can have much effect in keeping it pure. 

 However, that is not an important matter, and itis certain that a 

 pinch of animal charcoal, which is very chesp, will keep the water 

 quite sweet. One cultivator who keeps grapes on a large scale by 

 this method, never uses any charcoal at all, but simply fills his 

 little bottles almost full with water, and then inserts the branches, 

 which nearly close the necks of them. He appeared quite as 

 well satisfied with the plan as those who had taken more pains to 

 keep the water sweet. That once settled, all there is to do is to 

 add a little water, in case evaporation should cause that in the 

 bottles to fall below the bases of the shoots. Of course it will be 

 understood in a moment that with one-tenth the amount of ex- 

 pense and trouble that is now necessary in large grape-growing 

 places, we may in a grape-room like this maintain conditions in- 

 finitely better calculated for the preservation of the fruit than the 

 atmosphere of any vinery can possibly be. We may keejp the fruit 

 dark, preserve the necessary amount of dryness in the atmosphere, 



