Chap. XIX.] 



PRESERVING GRAPES. 



319 



insertion of the shoot into a bottle of water is all that is required, 

 and as the bottles used are little more than wide enough at the 

 neck to admit the shoot, the surface exposed to evaporation is very 

 small. It has been urged against the method that the Grrapes 

 " lose their sugar." This is not the case unless the fruit is kept 

 a very long time. The French, in carrying out their experiments, 

 have kept some of their Grrapes as long as they could, and have 

 frequently shown them in a nice plump condition long after they 

 ripen their early Grrapes. In these extreme instances a loss of 

 sugar was no doubt perceptible ; but what kind of flavour would 



Section of Grape-room at Heckfield. Scale i in. to i ft. 



Grapes possess if left hanging on the Vine till the summer months 

 when these Grapes were exhibited ? There is no necessity for 

 keeping them till they lose their sugar. In most of our large 

 gardens Grapes are forced early, and would be ripe before the 

 fruit of the previous year had lost its virtues in the least degree. 

 To be able to clear the Vineries of Grapes two months before 

 the ordinary time, will prove to be a decided gain to all Grape- 

 growers. 



Not only has this system been adopted by all our great English 

 grape-growers, but they have modified it by doing away with the 

 necessity for using bottles. Mr. William Dodds has invented a V 



