‘OF THE VINE. 
89 
At the next winter’s pruning*, all the Vines that produced 
a full crop of fruit Hiould be cut down nearly to the bottom, 
that is, to the lowermoft fummer Ihoot, which flioot alfo 
fliould be cut down to the firft or fecond eye. 
But all thofe Vines, that were cut down nearly to the bottom 
the preceding £eafon, and which will, in general, have made 
M ^ very 
be perfedtly dry at the time, of packing, and the bunches well examined, that if 
there be any berries either decayed, cracked, or bruifed, they may be clipped ofF 
the bunch. — Then carefully tie each bunch in a bag made of filver or gauze-paper, 
its fize being proportioned to that of the bunch. 
In packing proceed thus : Firft put a good quantity of chaff into the box, then 
carefully lay your grapes in a kind of courfe, or layer ; a fmall quantity of chaff 
fhould be lightly preffed between each bunch, as alfo between the bunches and 
the fides of the box. — Then add more chaff, prefs it lightly, and lay in a fecond 
courfe, or layer, of bunches : Grapes, however, packed in this manner, ought 
not to be more than two courfes deep, becaufe the bottom bunches would be liable 
to be injured by the weight above. 
I muft cbferve, that the courfe of chaff between the layers of the bunches, and 
likewife at the top and the bottom, ought, when it is well preffed down, to oc- 
cupy a fpace of about two or three inches. 
I have for many years thus fent grapes from Welbeck to London, (a diftance 
of about 150 miles) and when the boxes have been put either in the infide, or upon 
the body of the coach, the grapes have generally gone without injury, and even 
preferved their bloom ; Nor do they require dipping in water, which is a neceffary 
operation wbrn grapes are fent in fand. However, I muft fay, that when boxes 
go in the coach boot, (where the motion is more violent) the fruit will commonly 
fpoil j for which reafon, 1 have boxes made exaflly to fuit the feats of the ftage 
coaches. 
