MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, kc. 12* 



bagging for three weeks, and yet could not bag the half of 

 what were on one wall. 



Where the bunches are very thick, the quicker!: way is to 

 cover the trees with nets, or buntine (a kind of fluff of which 

 ihips colours are made), which will admit a free air to the 

 Grapes, and will dry ioon after rain. They will alfo be a 

 good covering for the trees in the Spring, in cold, wet, or 

 fnowy weather. Always obferve, that the bunches of Grapes 

 fhould be kept under the ihade of the leaves till they begin to 

 ripen ; then you may begin to pick off the leaves which cover 

 the fruit, (leaving thole a little above it to be a Inciter from 

 the wet and fro ft in the nights) ; this will afiift the ripening 

 of the fruit ; and take off only a few leaves at a time, ac- 

 cording to the quantity of Grapes to be gathered at once : 

 by thefe means your fruit will continue three times as long 

 in fucceffion as it would if the leaves were picked off all at 

 one time. 



I have often feen all the leaves taken off from the fruit foon 

 after it was fet, which prevents it from fwelling, and the 

 fruit will become hard and fmall, and will generally crack. 



When the leaves are not too thick 5, they admit the rays of 

 the fun to pafs through, and a warm glow of heat will be re- 

 flected from the wall. 



You may find it convenient to let the Grapes hang as long 

 on the walls as you can : I have often let them hang till the 

 middle of November, only covering them with nets, or 

 buntine. 



When the froft begins to fet in fharp, you fhould then 

 gather the Grapes. Where there are feveral bunches on one 

 branch you may cut it off, leaving about fix inches in length, 

 or more, of the wood, according to the diftance between the 



S bunches. 



