By Mr. Johw Mearns. 255 



I am particularly cautious that nothing should happen, to 

 injure the leaf that accompanies the bunch, for, if that is 

 lost, the fruit of course will come to nothing. 



During the summer I inspect the Vines regularly every 

 morning ; seeing that the ends of my leaders are in their 

 proper places, and not obstructed ; picking off tendrils, 

 and stopping the laterals above the first leaf, on my next 

 year's bearing wood ; tying down fruit spurs carefully, and 

 stopping any shoot that may have sprung from the ends of 

 them ; as well as other shoots that may come out from the 

 previously stopped laterals. 



In thinning the bunches, I consider it of the utmost im- 

 portance to begin early, that is, when the Grapes are about 

 the size of vetches ; I go over them with the thinning scis- 

 sars two different times, and to some sorts I find it necessary 

 to give a third thinning. In the first thinning, I cut off 

 about two, three, or four, inches from the ends of the long 

 rambling bunches, of such kinds as the Hamburghs, Fron- 

 tignacs, St. Peters, Nice, and Muscat of Alexandria ; for 

 the extremities of these are generally very imperfect, and 

 not fit for the table ; and only deprive the other part of the 

 bunch of much support ; I carefully tie up the shoulders, 

 that they may not crowd too much on the lower parts of 

 the bunch and so that the whole may have the benefit of 

 light and air, as well as sufficient room to swell; but I 

 am cautious not to tie them too high, which is injurious. 



I give my waterings in much larger quantities as the 

 Grapes approach to maturity, particularly if the weather 

 renders it necessary, from a want of rain; but I leave it 



