V I 



difplacing their Branches intirely, as 

 is often practifed, the Fruit will be- 

 come hard, and remain at a perfect 

 Stand for three Weeks, and fome- 

 times will never advance afterward, 

 as I have feveral times obferv'd ; 

 therefore there cannot be too much 

 Care taken to keep them conftantly 

 in a kindly State of Growth, as the 

 Vigverons abroad well know ; tho' 

 in England it is little regarded by the 

 Generality of Gardeners, who, when 

 their Grapes fuffer by this Neglect, 

 immediately complain of the Cli- 

 mate, or the Untowardnefs of the 

 Seafon, which is too often a Cover 

 for Neglects of this Nature. And 

 here I can't help taking notice of the 

 abfurd Practice of thole who pull off" 

 their Leaves from their Vines, which 

 are placed near the Fruit, in order 

 to let in the Rays of the Sun to ri- 

 pen them ; not confidering how much 

 they expofe their Fruit to the cold 

 Dews, which fall plentifully in Au- 

 tumn, which, being imbib'd by the 

 Fruit, greatly retard.them : befides, 

 no Fruit will ripen fo well when in- 

 tirely expos'd to the Sun, as when 

 they are gently fcreen'd with Leaves; 

 and by the polling off thefe Leaves, 

 which are abfolutely neceftary to 

 prepare the Juices before they enter 

 the Fruit, the grofs Parts of which 

 are perfpired away by the Leave?, 

 the Fruit mull either be deprivM of 

 Nouri foment, or elfe fome of the 

 grots Particles will enter with the 

 more refined Parts of the Juice, and 

 thereby render the Fruit worfe than 

 it would otherwife be* were the 

 Leaves permitted to remain upon 

 the Branches : for if the weak dan- 

 gling Shoots are conftar.tly d;fylac'd 

 as they are produc'd, the Fruit will 

 not be too much (haded by the Leaves 

 which are upon the btaring Bran- 

 ches. 



v i 



When the Fruit is ripe, if the 

 Stalks of the Bunches are cut half 

 thio 1 a Fortnight before they are 

 gather'd, it will cawfe the Juice to 

 be much better, becaufe there will 

 not be near fo great a Quantity of 

 Nourishment enter the Fruit ; where- 

 by the watry Particles will have 

 time to evaporate, and the Juice will 

 be better digefted. This is practifed 

 by fome of the moft curious I'igne- 

 rons in the South of France , where 

 they make excellent Wine. But if, 

 after the Fruit be cut, it is hung up 

 in a dry Room upon Strings, fo as 

 not to touch each other, for a Month 

 before they are prefied, it will alfo 

 add greatly to the Strength of the 

 Wine; becaufe in that time a great 

 Quantity of the watry Parts of the 

 Juice will evaporate. This is a con- 

 usant Practice with fome Perfons, 

 who inhabit in the Tirolefe, on the 

 Borders of Italy, where is made a 

 moft delicious rich Wine, as hath 

 been attefted by Dr. Burnet in his 

 Travels; and I have heard the fame 

 from feveral Gentlemen, who have 

 travel I'd that Road fince. 



But with all the Care that can 

 pofiibly be taken, either in the Cul- 

 ture of the Vines, or in making the 

 Wine, it will not be near fo good 

 while the Vineyard is young, as it 

 will be after it has been planted tea 

 or twelve Years ; and it will be con- 

 ftantly mending, until it is fifty Years 

 old, as is attefted by feveral curious 

 Perlons abroad, as alfo by the moft 

 fkilful Wine-coopers at home, who 

 can tell the Produce of a young 

 Vineyard from that of an old one, 

 after it is brought to England, by 

 the Colour of the Wine. This Dif- 

 ference is very eafily accounted for, 

 from the diiFerent Structure of the 

 VeiTeis of the Plants : thofe of the 

 young Vines, being larger, and of 



