THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 87 



mature, tKe bunclies and berries will swell accordingly, 

 and the weight of the grapes obtained will be increased 

 in proportion to the strength of the vine, and the fruit 

 0^ the colored kinds will be as black as possible, and 

 the flavor rich, vinous, and delicious, in striking contrast 

 to that from a plant which has been taxed to its utmost 

 in its eflfbrts to ripen an over-abundant crop. 



A plant of the Esperione variety of the grape, ob- 

 tained from Messrs. Hovey & Co. in the summer of 

 1843, grown from a single eye that same spring, and 

 planted out when grown three or four inches only, made 

 a remarkable growth ; had it been allowed, and had 

 there been in the gi-apery room to have permitted it to 

 have grown, I do not doubt the entire length of the cane 

 would have been fifty feet ; it was stopped at about thir- 

 teen feet early in August, and several times cut back 

 after this, during this month and September, which 

 caused the eyes on the upper part of the cane to break ; 

 these produced very large bunches of fruit-buds, which 

 were cut away in pruning; a second crop of fruit-buds 

 appeared on new shoots, which "were also cut away, and, 

 ■when the foliage was destroyed, the last of October, by 

 frost, a third crop was on the vines, which had been al- 

 lowed to remain, and the berries of which were of suffi- 

 cient size to thin. 



In this case we have an instance of a vine which,*in 

 seven months from an eye, would have ripened fruit, 

 had it been allowed. There was no artificial heating 

 of the border, and no uncommon care bestowed upon 

 the preparation of it. The soil used was one-half loam 

 from the garden, from the spot where the border was 



