222. VINES 
three seasons planted; then, for the next few 
years, guard carefully against over-cropping. 
It is well to go over the bunches with your thinning 
scissors after the berries are pretty well along, 
clipping out any that are cramping their neigh- 
bours. Keep in mind the fact that in a well- 
finished bunch of grapes, every berry should 
show, and all should be of the same size and 
colour. Neither a loose nor a crowded bunch is 
desired, but rather one just comfortably filled 
with berries as nearly perfect as possible. 
After thinning, continue the treatment as 
before — plenty of moisture at all times, a tem- 
perature of from 65° to 70°, frequent stirring of 
the surface soil, careful manipulation of the venti- 
lators, and persistent pinching of the lateral 
growths. A draught of cold air at this time will 
do a great deal of damage. I make a practice 
of giving the vines fertilizer of some kind once 
every fortnight. If the border is top-dressed 
with Thompson’s vine manure, icthemic guano, 
or some other good fertilizer, just before being 
watered, the plant food is quickly carried down to 
the roots. Liquid feeding can also be practised 
with a solution of cow or sheep manure. The 
important point is not to let the vines want for 
food. If you find the young roots coming to the 
