The Canadian Horticulturist. 293 



boys and girls ; and girls, as a rule, do better, quicker, and more perfect 

 work than boys ; and this is emphatically true also in culling, trinmiing and 

 packing the fruit. Hence it is that vintage time, on the shores of our grape 

 growing lakes, furnish so much work for young women and girls to do in the 

 open vineyards and packing houses — the same as in France, Spain, Portugal, 

 portions of the German Empire, and other grape producing countries of 

 Europe. Deft, quick, delicate-fingered, and faithful working girls are the 

 extensive grape grower's main reliance in "vintage time," and their timely 

 aid at this busy part of the season is highly appreciated by their employers. 



This year, as heretofore, the great bulk of the maturing crop of 1890 will 

 probably be packed in five and ten pound baskets and shipped without 

 crating ; but there will be a large amount packed in boxes, ranging from 

 five to ten pounds, and next year the proportion will, no doubt, be much 

 greater still, as the railway rates, which favor crating, will probably be 

 adhered to — having been waived this season, because of insufficient time for 

 the factories to change from baskets to boxes and crates. 



In regard to packing grapes in baskets, or boxes, for shipment to the 

 city markets much might be said as to how it should be done ; but if an^^one 

 wishes to learn more about this very important branch of the grape growing 

 business in thirty minutes than we can teach him in thirty chapters, let him 

 go to the packing house of a well established and successful vineyard, where 

 the process has been studied and improved for years, and see how it is done 

 by experts who have brought the art to a high degree of perfection. 



In seasons when grapes are plenty, but inferior, and therefore cheap, (as 

 in 1888) good packing excluded nearly everything except full and fair 

 bunches — the rest all going to the wine press — but we apprehend that, as 

 this year grapes will be a less crop and likely to command much higher 

 prices, packing will include smaller and less perfect clusters, providing their 

 berries are ripe and of good average quality. 



It is a well known fact that the great wine cellars of Europe — and the 

 same thing is true of those in Pleasant Valley and on the shores of Keuka — 

 will not buy grapes to be delivered until they are perfectly matured, and if 

 they have vineyards of their own the fruit is not allowed to be gathered 

 until it is dead ripe, as shown by the stems turning brown, and from such 

 grapes they obtain the highest and most perfect wine-making results. There- 

 fore, those small growers who have no wine making facilities of their own, 

 but wish to sell their refuse grapes to wine cellars, should let them stay on 

 the vines until they are fully ripe. 



Hoping that, with proper picking and packing, the sending of none but 

 ripe and good fruit to market, and not being in a hurry to rush all to the 

 front as soon as it is fit to ship, the grape growers will gather a rich harvest 

 from the vines this year, we bid them good cheer, and wish them the fulfil- 

 ment of their highest anticipations. — Vineyardist. 



