ON WATERING THE VINE* 



157 



is exceedingly nourishing to the grapes in their 

 infant state. 



When strong fires are kept, if the flues are fre- 

 quently sprinkled with water, the heat of them 

 will cause a steam to arise, which will also have a 

 good effect. 



When the grapes are grown to the size of small 

 pease, the Vines will require a constant supply of 

 water, till they are full grown. If the border be 

 kept in a moderate moist state during the above 

 period, the Vines will grow luxuriant, and the 

 grapes will swell to a large size. b But when the 



b I have frequently had berries of various kinds of grapes, 

 that have weighed between eight and nine pennyweight each. 



I shall here beg leave to remark, that the berries of all the 

 different sorts are not equally ponderous in proportion to their 

 dimensions. Those kinds which have thick skins, and have 

 flesh of a hard and firm texture, are more weighty than the 

 thin-skinned grapes, with delicate and juicy flesh. From hence 

 we may reasonably infer, that the latter are most easy of 

 digestion, and consequently much more wholesome. 



A round thin-skinned berry, which weighs between seven 

 and eight pennyweight, will generally girth about four inches ; 

 and one of the same weight, of an oval form, about three and a 

 half inches. 



Although grapes of the above description may be deemed 

 exceeding large in this country, yet we are informed that they 

 grow to a much larger size in some parts abroad. It is even 

 said, that they are sometimes as large as pigeons' eggs. 



Two illustrious travellers *, who have published their observ- 

 ations on the present state of Asia Minor, in their journey 



* JEgidius Van Egmo?it, envoy from the States to the King 

 of Naples, and John Heyman, professor of the Oriental lan- 

 guages in the University of Leyden. 



