620 



FRUIT- GARDEN. 



inches, the embryo bunches will begin to appear, 

 at which time a careful selection of the most 

 promising and best placed should be made, and 

 the others rubbed off. As far as practicable the 

 bunches retained should be at equal distances 

 from each other, and, as has been elsewhere 

 noticed, in regulating the spurs, the bunches 

 will stand alternately on each side of the main 

 shoot, leaving of Hamburgs, &c, not more 

 than twelve or thirteen bunches on each vine; 

 in the case of Frontignans, and other small- 

 growing kinds, fourteen or fifteen may be left, 

 if the vines be in a vigorous state, and the roof 

 sufficiently long. After the selection is made, 

 all the spurs on which fruit is not left should be 

 cut clean away, cutting close into the main 

 stem, which will induce a speedy healing of the 

 wounds. When the young shoots on which the 

 fruit is growing have extended three joints be- 

 yond the bunch, they should then be stopped, 

 by pinching their tops off either at one or at 

 most two buds above the fruit. Some, however, 

 allow these shoots to extend several joints 

 further before stopping, to produce a greater 

 number of leaves, which they think materially 

 assists the swelling of the fruit; while others 

 assert that they only rob it of a share of its 

 nourishment. Both under certain circumstances 

 are right. The leaves no doubt contribute 

 greatly to the fruit, for without them it would 

 come to nothing ; still, valuable as they are, if 

 left in such numbers as to cause confusion and 

 crowding, their presence does more harm than 

 good ; for it is always best to have every leaf 

 left of as large a size as possible, and this they 

 could not be if they have not room to develop 

 themselves fully, so as to present their entire 

 surface to the light. Our own practice is to 

 stop according to circumstances, such as the 

 size of the leaves of the variety, the space they 

 have to grow in, &c, so that an intermediate 

 course between the two extremes may be deemed 

 the safest in practice. One rule, however, is 

 imperative — namely, leave one bunch only on 

 each spur, if fine bunches are desired. As soon 

 as the bunches are in flower, which is indicated 

 by their appearance, and also by the agreeable 

 odour diffused through the house, the atmos- 

 phere should be kept something closer, and also 

 somewhat more humid, giving air when the 

 temperature exceeds 76°. As soon as the berries 

 are set thinning should commence, clipping out 

 the smallest and inside berries first (vide Thin- 

 ning the fruit). Remove lateral shoots as they 

 appear, unless there is ample space for their 

 leaves, and unless the leaves left on the fruit- 

 bearing shoot be considered insufficient for their 

 nourishment. Those who wholly remove the 

 laterals do so, believing that they draw from 

 rather than assist in supplying the fruit with 

 food, and also that sun and air may be ad- 

 mitted more freely to the crop. That air and 

 light are highly important to the maturation 

 of fruit is undeniable, yet the vine is natu- 

 rally a low creeping plant; and even when it 

 attains, as it does in some countries, the charac- 

 ter of a tree, still the fruit in all cases is pro- 

 duced and matured under the shade of its 

 leaves. In cultivation we see as well-coloured 



and as highly-matured grapes growing under 

 the shade of their own leaves in vineries, where 

 the whole surface of the roof is covered, as we 

 do in those where they are confined to the raf- 

 ters only, deprived of laterals, and fully exposed 

 to the sun and light. Laterals are, therefore, 

 only to be considered useful as contributing to 

 the support of the fruit in cases of a deficiency 

 of proper leaves, and where the latter are deemed 

 sufficient the former should certainly be re- 

 moved. During the whole process of forcing, 

 air must be freely but judiciously admitted : a 

 reference to vol. i., articles Ventilation, Vin- 

 eries, &c, will show how this can best be 

 accomplished. The temperature should be con- 

 tinued, as stated above, until the berries have 

 perfected their seed; during the period of its 

 formation they remain almost stationary in size. 

 After this critical period vegetation goes on 

 more rapidly, and consequently a slight increase 

 of heat should be given ; this may safely be done 

 if it is wanted to have the fruit ripe at a parti- 

 cular season, otherwise it should be allowed to 

 go on slowly and progressively. From the time 

 the berries begin to change colour, and during 

 the whole ripening period, air should be abun- 

 dantly admitted, and under proper management 

 during the night as well as the day, maintaining 

 the heat, however, at not less than 60°. When 

 the fruit has fully ripened Ventilation must ever 

 be increased, watering at the root nearly sus- 

 pended, the atmosphere kept dry, and the 

 bunches frequently examined, and all decaying 

 berries removed. A partial thinning of such 

 laterals as were left should take place after the 

 fruit has ripened, and the whole of them should 

 be removed when the wood begins to indicate 

 ripeness by turning brownish, and the leaves 

 beginning to fall. 



Regarding the management of Muscats, they 

 in no way differ as to pruning from other vines. 

 We would, however, recommend their being 

 planted within the house in most situations, 

 although there are some places where they are 

 found to do well when planted in the ordinary 

 manner. Mr Saunders, in his " Treatise on the 

 Vine," observes, and we think justly — at least 

 his theory is borne out in his own practice — that 



much good is derived from planting them 

 thickly; it enables the grower to train every 

 alternate vine up and the other down " (for it 

 should be observed he plants in a prepared 

 border within the house, setting the plants in a 

 row along the middle of the vinery), " thereby 

 entirely covering every inch of glass surface. 

 Allowing each vine to carry ten or twelve 

 bunches, you thereby secure a much greater 

 weight of fruit than by any other plan, and at 

 the same time each individual vine is not over- 

 cropped." No vine we know of suffers more 

 from overcropping than the Muscat. Many err 

 in keeping their Muscat-house at too high a tem- 

 perature : of course where they are grown, as 

 they often are, over pines, this control of heat 

 is not so much in our power; where they are 

 grown in a house by themselves, a uniform 

 heat, as recommended for other sorts, is all 

 that is required. During their blooming a 

 closer atmosphere than was previously required 



