262 On the Shriveling of Grapes. 



shriveling of grapes, but tliat it arises from the inability of the 

 vine to provide a sufficient quantity of nourishing matter for the 

 berries. Though this disease is not generally noticed until the 

 footstalks are gone black, yet any person who looks at grapes, 

 or any thing else, as the Rev. W. T. Bree looks at them, (that 

 is, with an observant and accurate eye), would see that the supply 

 of nutriment is stopped a fortnight or more before the blackness 

 on the footstalks appears. The inability of the vine to provide 

 for its fruit may arise from different causes; such as over-crop- 

 ping, the foliage being too crowded, &c. That crowded foliage 

 will do it, I thir.k the following will show: — A friend of mine 

 sent me an eye of, as he said, a superior kind of white grape ; 

 and, as I had no rafter to spare for it, rather than throw it away, 

 I planted it between two old vines, and trained it up under the 

 sash. The first year I cut it down to one eye; the second year 

 I did the same, and the old vines right and left did not seem 

 to be the least affected by the presence of their new neigiibour. 

 Last year, being the third year, 1 cut it within a few buds of 

 the top of the house, for the purpose of throwing it into bear- 

 ing. This vine proved to be of the Fitis vulpina family; conse- 

 quently it made very large leaves, as well as immense branches. 

 1 left the usual quantity of bunches on my old vines; and things 

 seemed to proceed in a regular manner, until the colouring time 

 came ; when the old vines, that have ripened a good crop for 

 many years in succession, lost half their crop, at least, by shrivel- 

 ing. I therefore decapitated Fitis vulpina. Three years ago, I 

 planted some vines in a little green-house, the roof of which is 

 immovable, and it was my intention, at the time of planting, 

 to have ventilators put in the top of the back wall. However, 

 other things intervening, time went on, till the vines became two 

 years old, and no ventilators had been made. The vines having 

 made good ripe wood under the fast roof, I thought I would 

 risk the trial of their making good grapes under it. I therefore 

 determined to try the effects of more heat and more moisture 

 than ever I either practised or heard tell or read of. These 

 vines pushing with the natural spring, I tied them up under the 

 rafters, and had the floor of the house well saturated with water 

 every morning, and two or, three times during the day whenever 

 it proved hot. The vines soon came into flower; and a few days 

 afterwards, as T was thinning them, the heat was such, that it 

 induced me to have a thermometer placed close to the topmost 

 bunch, which in the hottest days stood at 120°; and, indeed, the 

 temperature was quite that of a vapour bath. The berries 

 swelled apace, and ripened off in the best manner, except 

 two or three bursting, when green, with the violent heat. The 

 above, I think, goes to prove that excessive moisture does not 

 shrivel the grapes. — Sept. 19. 1836. 



