VINE. 



269 



mildew. The steaming of the house must 

 be at this time regularly attended to morn- 

 ing and evening, although the sprinkling be 

 given up ; and it must be continued until 

 the berries begin to change colour. 



It will generally be the case that two or 

 more bunches of fruit will shew from every 

 bud, but only one must be permitted to re- 

 main. Whatever fruit is shewn upon the 

 uppermost shoot must be pinched off', unless 

 the Vine be very vigorous, in which case it 

 may be left as in the other shoots. In 

 making choice of a bunch to remain, the 

 lowest one is generally the best. When the 

 shoots upon which fruit is retained, have 

 pushed forth so that two joints can be dis- 

 tinctly seen above the bunch, the top of the 

 shoot must be pinched off just above the 

 second joint, in order to divert the course of 

 the sap into the bunch of fruit; if a shoot 

 should push again from the top of the one 

 thus stopped, let it be pinched back to its 

 origin when it has got about six or eight 

 inches long. After this second stopping it 

 will rarely be necessary to be repeated, the 

 fruit being then so increased in size as to 

 require a great portion of support. Great 

 care must be taken that the leaf, (which is 

 at the joint from which the bunch is pro- 

 duced) is not damaged, for if it be, the fruit 

 will be injured. 



The necessity of stopping the shoot two 



