WITHOUT LETTING THEM HANG ON THE VINES. 411 



means to warm or ventilate the structure, but that the grapes 

 keep much better without that trouble. The first. result of 

 the method was a gain to the village of Thomery, which 

 is almost wholly occupied with grape culture, of from 

 100,000 to 150,000 francs per annum. The system enables 

 the cultivators to keep their grapes much later than of old, 

 and thus to add considerably to their revenue. 



Since the above was written this system has been tried 

 and favourably reported on by Mr. Hill of Keele Hall, the 

 famous grape grower, and by other practical men. Mr. 

 Whittaker of Crewe Hall sent some to a meeting of the 

 Horticultural Society, but he had taken unnecessary trouble 

 by corking and sealing the bottles. The 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 evaporating surface exposed is 

 very small. It was urged against the method at this meet- 

 ing that the grapes ""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 

 grapes as long as they could, and have frequently shown 

 them in a nice plump condition long after they ripen their 

 early grapes — just for the " honour of the thing." In these 

 instances a loss of sugar was no doubt perceptible; but 

 what kind of flavour would berries possess if left hanging on 

 the vine till the summer months when the Frenchmen ex- 

 hibited their grapes ? The necessity for keeping the grapes 

 till they lose their sugar does not exist. 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. And in our comparatively small gardens, containing 

 perhaps a vinery or two, how many bunches of grapes are 

 left after thej consumption of ,the winter months ? To be 

 able to clear the vineries of grapes for two months before 

 the ordinary time would be a decided gain to thousands of 

 gardeners in this country. 



" About the 15th of April," says Mr. Thompson, " the 

 sap began to rise in the vines, and some of the berries that 

 were a little shrivelled suddenly got plump, while others 



