146 AMEKICAN GRAPE GROWING 



GATHEMNG THE GRAPES. 



Haying our cellar built, and stocked with tlie necessary 

 implements, we can now proceed to gather the grapes. 

 The proper time»to do this depends very much upon 

 the varieties. The CBstivalis, and most of the cordifolia 

 class, in short, all grapes which have an agreeable flavor — 

 one which we wish to have in its fullest development in 

 the must or wine — we ought to have thoroughly ripe. 

 The riper the grapes, the more fully will their peculiar 

 flavor be developed, the less acid and the more sugar will 

 they contam. We must, therefore, learn the nature of 

 our grapes before we know when to gather them. In the va- 

 rieties of Labrusca, at least in most of them, their peculiar 

 flavor is not desirable in its highest development, and is 

 generally characterized as "foxy." A good many of 

 them also, for instance. Concord and Martha, do not 

 contain the proper amount of acid when fully ripe, to 

 bear the necessary dilution of this strong, foxy taste, and 

 as they mast be "Gallized" at any rate, to be palatable, it_ 

 is not advisable to let them get over ripe. I would advise, 

 therefore, to take these, and, in short, all the varieties 

 with a strong, foxy, and disagreeable aroma, when fully 

 colored, and let those varieties with an agreeable aroma 

 hang long, in order to obtain their flavor in its full 

 perfection and delicacy ; and also to develop the greatest 

 amount of sugar and diminish the acid. The best evi- 

 dences of a grape being thoroughly ripe are ; 1st. The 

 stem turns brown and begins to shrivel. 3d. The berry 

 begms to shrivel around the stem. 3d. The skin is tiunT 

 and transparent. 4th. The juice becomes very sweet, 

 and adheres to the fingers like honey or molasses. _ 



It is often advisable to gather twice, as many bunches will 

 ripen later than others. If the ripest are gathered first, the 

 remainder will ripen quicker, and a uniform product can 

 thus be obtained. The first implements needed for the 



