November 14, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
T HE most critical period for keeping Grapes on Vines that have 
their roots outside in unprotected borders, is from the time the 
foliage commences to assume an autumnal appearance until it falls, 
.-as the berries are more liable to decay at this stage than at any 
other. The main evils that the cultivator has to contend against 
are late ripening, overcrowding of the berries, large shouldered 
bunches, and an injudicious use of fire heat while the Grapes hang 
on the Vines. 
We are convinced that Grapes expected to keep well without 
•the loss of a berry should be thoroughly ripe by the middle of 
September at the latest. It is important that the Vines have 
rather a long period of growth ; they should be started early in 
the season and assisted by heat, so that when colouring com¬ 
mences they can be allowed abundance of time in which to ripen. 
During August there is generally plenty of sunshine, and a mode¬ 
rately warm, dry, and airy atmosphere can be readily maintained. 
Warmth and ventilation at night in addition are the conditions 
nnder which the Grapes will develop superior flavour to those 
-that ripened in a high temperature and close moist atmosphere six 
weeks or two months later in the year. 
Attention is needed at the time of thinning or before the 
atoning commences. It may surprise some when we say that we 
go over our late Grapes three times before the process of thinning 
is completed. First, all small berries are removed, and sufficient 
to prevent crowding until the remainder have commenced swelling 
freely. The second time does not take long, when all inside 
berries are removed, and as nearly as we can judge the process is 
completed. During this second thinning shoulders that are liable 
to hang or press in any way against the remainder of the bunch 
when bottled are removed or reduced as required. Where any 
crowding results from one portion of the bunch pressing against the 
other the berries are most liable to decay. The same weight of 
Grapes can be taken from the Vines whether the bunches are large 
■or small, and from careful observations during the past thirteen 
years we have found that bunches ranging from 1 lb. to If lb. 
keep better than those of a larger size. Larger bunches can be 
kept equally well if they are tapering, long instead of wide, where 
the inside berries can be removed, and there is no pressure from 
above. Bunches that are short, thick, and heavy at the top are 
avoided as much as possible. 
The third time the bunches are examined is after the berries are 
stoned. It can then be determined if any are likely to press unduly 
against others. In some bunches not a single berry may need 
removing, whilst in others the berries may display signs of swelling 
to an extra size when it may be necessary to remove one here and 
there. Whether thinning is done at one or three times matters 
•very little provided the Grapes have room to swell and when ripe 
are not crowded. Bunches in which the berries are jammed 
together will not keep satisfactorily. What use are bunches 4 or 
5 lbs. in weight if there is a doubt about keeping them, or if in 
the end they are much reduced in weight by the removal of decayed 
berries ? It is much wiser to have two or three bunches on the 
Vines that will keep instead of one. Large bunches certainly take 
the eye, and are something to boast about, but for all practical 
purposes those of a smaller size are much more useful, and more 
suitable for market purposes. It is not too late even now to 
No. 490.—Vol. XIX., Third Series. 
improve under-thinned bunches. It is better to remove a few 
berries at once than allow them to retnain and eventually decay 
and probably disfigure the whole bunch. The removal of one 
berry at the present time may prevent the loss of two' or three 
later on, for if one turns mouldy the adjoining two or three are 
almost certain to decay as well, thus causing a considerable vacancy 
in the bunch. 
We have found it a good practice to admit more light to the 
Grapes that have to be kept until the spring than is necessary for 
those that are used from the Vines by the close of Novemter. 
When the Grapes are coloured we commence removing the sub¬ 
laterals a few at a time until all can be cut away without fear of 
the main buds bursting again into growth. By the end of 
September, or early in the following month, only the chief leaves 
along the laterals remain. Not only is light admitted to the 
Grapes but to the wood to further ripen and solidify it. It is also 
a fact that Grapes keep better on wood that is firm and well 
matured than they do on strong, soft, pithy, unripe wood. 
Early ripening of the Grapes not only proves an advantage in 
keeping the fruit, but it is the most economical as regards the 
consumption of fuel, a matter of no small moment at the present 
time. Leaving out the question of economy, however, the Vines 
can be subjected to cool treatment much earlier than would other¬ 
wise be the case. This tends largely to reduce to a minimum the 
risk of losing berries during the period when the foliage com¬ 
mences to decay. The atmosphere externally is often heavily 
charged with moisture, and the continuance of fire heat only adds 
to the evil. When fire heat is used at this stage it is difficult to 
keep the berries from being covered with moisture, a condition that 
is almost certain to end in large numbers decaying. If the ven¬ 
tilators are closed and fire heat used when the atmosphere is moist 
outside, or heat and ventilation employed together, the atmosphere 
about the Grapes is very similar in both cases as far as a deposit 
on the berries is concerned. The best course is to use as little 
fire heat as possible after the Vines have once been gradually 
brought to cool treatment, and then principally on very fine 
days when liberal ventilation can be given. A slight deposit 
on the berries appears, however, to do no harm when the tem¬ 
perature is low, provided it be quickly evaporated, but when 
the temperature is higher and moisture settles upon the berries 
decay quickly commences. Heat and the condition of the 
atmosphere not only aid rapid decomposition, which is much 
quicker in late than early ripened Grapes, but it tends largely to 
shrivel the berries. Alnwick Seedling, for example, cannot endure 
fire heat after it is ripe. The berries quickly commence shrivel¬ 
ling where fire heat is used daily and the orthodox ventilation pro¬ 
vided until the Grapes are cut and bottled, or the foliage has 
fallen. AVe have -watched this variety closely during the past two 
years, and find that it keeps plump much longer than when w 
used more fire heat to our late Grapes. 
The greatest difficulty after the Grapes are ready for . .oval 
from the Vines, in most gardens, is to find a suitable place in 
which to store them. Fruit rooms are often selected, and large 
numbers of these are anything but suitable. A room, whether in a 
northern or southern position, that is naturally dry, where a good 
circulation of air can be maintained will do very well. A free 
circulation of air is important, and where it can be secured all 
means of heating can be dispensed with. When we used the 
ordinary fireplace in our room, or the two gas jets provided for 
maintaining a uniform temperature, the Grapes did not keep 
nearly so well as they have since their use was discontinued. 
Warmth during severe weather resulted in the berries being 
covered with dew in the morning, and for days together we had 
the greatest difficulty in dispelling it, with the result that the 
berries decayed rapidly. When the fire was used a circulation of 
air was cut off, and the moment the door or window was opened 
and air admitted the Grapes were almost white with the moisture 
No. 2116 .—Vol. LXXXI., Old Series. 
