Transactions of the Horticultuy^al Society. 291 



practice of planting their vines far apart, their growth was so 

 luxuriant that they were under the necessity of leaving a 

 distance of 2 ft. between each cordon, and even that was 

 found insufficient as they shot beyond it, and could only be 

 kept within bounds by repeatedly cutting in the young wood, 

 though in an advanced state; but since they have adopted 

 the practice of close planting, and by a judicious selection 

 have procured varieties which grow more kindly, pinchino 

 alone is found sufficient to keep the plants in order." 



Care of the Fruit. — Cut oflF the extremities of long 

 bunches, for they generally ripen late. Let only two remain 

 on a shoot. Thin the berries of close bunches, and remove 

 insects. When the bunch is three fourths ripe, take off a 

 few leaves to admit the sun and air to colour the fruit. " In 

 doing this, the leaf is torn off at the extremity of the foot- 

 stalk, which is left behind to attract the sap " [?]. The 

 bunches are frequently put in hair bags, to protect them from 

 birds; but more conmionly they are screened with cloths, 

 matting of straw or bass, or with fern, which, late in the 

 season, is removed during the middle of fine days, and which 

 will preserve fruit on the trees till Christmas. [This we 

 saw done in M. Decouffle's garden in October last, and found 

 some of the grapes still hanging on the end of his house in 

 the first week of January, 1829, which he expected to 

 keep there till February.] 



" None but the driest weather is chosen for gathering in 

 the crop, it would quickly spoil if stored moist. The bunches 

 are handled with nicety, and only by the stalk, to preserve 

 the bloom ; those intended for keeping are cut before they 

 are quite ripe. Some are spread on beds of fern^ others are 

 hung up on hair lines in reverse, with the shoulders down, as 

 that position prevents the berries from lying so close as to 

 rot." 



Tillage and Manuring. — The ground is hoed twice a year, 

 after the summer training, and at the fall of the leaf, but 

 never dug. The surface is always kept free from weeds, and 

 loose to admit the air and dews. Old, light, warm manure is 

 hoed in, every three years. 



The superiority of the Thomery culture is attributed to the 

 following peculiarities of practice, to which we would add the 

 spur method of pruning, 



" 1st. To the judicious choice of cuttings, the vignerons 

 never making use of any but such as have borne the best and 

 finest fruits. 



" 2d. By planting the vines at a distance from the wall, 

 and by frequently laying the shoots until they reach the wall, 



u 2 



