By Mr. John Robertson. 385 



promote their ripening, is attended to, as soon as the bunch 

 gets three-fourths ripe ; in doing this, the leaf is torn off at 

 the extremity of the footstalk, which is left behind to attract 

 the sap, and nourish the bud at its base. 



Bagging the bunches, to protect them from birds and in- 

 sects, and preserve them late, is done before they acquire 

 perfect maturity, and always on a dry day. Hair bags are 

 preferred to those of any other material. But the practice 

 of bagging is not general. The Vignerons often preserve 

 Grapes on their treillages until Christmas by screening them 

 from the frost with cloths, matting, or fern. None but the 

 driest weather is chosen for gathering in the crop, it would 

 quickly spoil if stored moist. The bunches are handled with 

 nicety, and only by the stalk, to preserve the bloom ; those 

 intended for keeping are cut before they are quite ripe. Some 

 are spread on beds of fern, others are hung up on hair lines in 

 reverse, with the shoulders down, as that position prevents the 

 berries from lying so close as to rot. 



Tillage and Manuring. 



In tillage the Vignerons use no other tool than their hoe ; 

 they stir the ground but lightly, lest they should injure or 

 disturb the roots ; this is done twice in the year, first after 

 the summer training, which generally takes place about the 

 end of May ; and again when the leaves fall ; the ground is 

 besides, always kept perfectly clean and loose on the surface, 

 to admit the air and dews. 



It is contrary to general practice, to give Vines any 

 other manure than such as they may casually receive when 

 spread for other crops on the borders ; it is not so with the 



