WITHOUT LETTING THEM HANG ON THE VINES. 409 



attain the conditions under which fruit is known to keep 

 "best. 



M. Rose-Charmeux, the great grape grower of Thomery, 

 was, I believe, the first to try this plan. Now, as we grow 

 by far the best and largest quantity of hothouse grapes of 

 any country, this method will prove of far more use to us 

 than to the French. I was told by experienced French 

 growers who have adopted the system, that they keep the 

 fruit as long this way as upon the vine, with fewer mouldy 



Fig. 225. 



Interior of Grape-room in -vvhich the System described is earned out. 



berries, and almost without trouble; and it is not likely 

 that a man would cut down half a dozen houses of fine 

 grapes at the beginuing of October unless he had already 

 proved it to be a good system. The advantage of having 

 all the stock of grapes safely housed and away from the 

 attacks of vermin and other interlopers, is another of the 

 many presented by this plan, which I now leave in the 

 reader^s hands for trial, confident that it will prove a great 

 boon to the grape grower, and tend to make that fruit — 



