April 15, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
313 
Grape Thinning. 
This operation is a very important one, and one that should 
be done carefully so that the best return (both as regards 
quantity and quality) can be had without weakening the Vine. 
Vines should on no account be overcropped, for when 
allowed to carry too heavy a crop, inferior colour and flavour 
are the result, and also the Vines are weakened for next 
season’s crop. When in good condition Vines will cany a 
much heavier crop than if they are in a poor condition at the 
mot or have their foliage damaged by red spider or other 
insects. 
As soon as the bunches are forward enough to distinguish 
which ones are likely to turn out best, they should lie thinned 
out before they come into flower, leaving two or three more 
bunches than absolutely required so that if any do not turn 
out well they can be cut off after they are set. The number 
of bunches to be left will have to be determined by the strength 
of the Vine.. 
As soon as they are set the thinning of the berries will have 
to be commenced. This is an operation that requires a quick 
eye and steady hand. Early morning is the best time for this 
work, as the hand is steadier then 
than after a hard day’s work. All 
that is necessary is a pair of sharp 
grape scissors and a, forked stick 
about 6 in. long to hold the bunch 
firmly without touching it with the 
hand. 
Before commencing, the operator 
should have some knowledge about 
the variety he is about to thin, as 
there are various points to be re¬ 
membered. All the inner berries 
should be cut out first, then any 
small berries, and the rest regulated 
to the required distance apart. Care 
must be taken not. to prick the 
berries with the scissors, and also 
not to touch the berries with the 
hands or hair. The distance apart 
for the berries to be left will depend 
on the variety of grape. Muscat of 
Alexandra needs very little thinning, 
for being a bad setter, the bunch is 
generally pretty thin without cut¬ 
ting very many more out. Ham- 
burghs should have plenty of berries 
left on the shoulders, as they have 
long foot-stalks and can easily make 
room for themselves, and will make 
much better bunches than if the 
shoulders were thinned to the same distance as lower down in 
the bunch. Madresfield Court buiiches should be rather 
severely thinned ; the berries being large and very apt to split, 
they require more room than most varieties. Alicantes are 
much better to have their buds thinned before coming into 
flower, for the berries being very short in the foot-stalk it is 
almost impossible to thin them without pricking them with the 
scissois.. The bunches of all varieties should be trone over at 
least twice before stoning and once after they are stoned, 
taking out all surplus berries, leaving nice-shaped, equal-sized 
ones for forming the bunch. Large bunches should have their 
shoulders supported with thin matting so that the berries can 
have plenty of room to swell. Nemo. 
Degeneracy of Varieties Propagated from 
Buds. 
By the Royal Horticultural Scientific Committee. 
March 28th.- A meeting of the Scientific Committee was 
held at the new Hall, Vincent Square, on the above date, the 
object of tlie meeting being to collect I lie opinions of experts 
as to the alleged degeneracy of varieties propagated from buds 
and not from seeds. 
lb'. Masters, who presided, delivered a brief opening address. 
Mr. A. Dean read a short paper on the subject of deteriora¬ 
tion, with special reference to the Potato: — 
Do Potato Stocks Deteriorate 1 
In dealing with tlie assumed deterioration of the Potato, it 
is needful to be clear that not Potatos as edible products are 
referred to, but varieties' of a species. The assumption is that 
varieties have lives comparatively short, as compared with the 
lives of kinds of vegetables or other products. That assump- 
tion is by no means proved. One probable cause for the com¬ 
paratively rapid disappearance of Potato varieties from cul¬ 
tivation is found in the freedom with wh:< h new one- are 
A School Gabdex for the Isle of Wight.— The Countv 
Educational Committee for the Isle of Wight has been arraimincr 
im ™ e of s « ho , 01 gardens in connection “with the horticultural 
the mni° n i ^ e y supply. These gardens will be under 
mf+W r °! the count - v horticultural instructor. The com- 
mabi 10 h f 0 g lv ^ scholarships to some of those who intend 
making gardening their profession. 
Saxifraga Elizabethae: Flowers yellow. (Seep. 307.) 
raised, and the taste for novelties is as great, amongst Potato- 
growers as among any class of persons. That readiness for 
change is based on a belief that new ones may always be better 
than older ones. Curiosity to find what may be the character¬ 
istics of new varieties is also a prominent factor in the matter. 
Then it is again a tradition of the Potato trade that varieties 
wear out, and should often he replaced by newer ones. The 
trade would no doubt feel hurt were it to be said that such 
tradition is based on trading interests. In any case it does as 
a theory lead to much business without doubt. 
Now if we turn to some varieties of Potatos long in cultiva¬ 
tion, we find that in their cases wearing out is not so evident. 
There is the Aslileaf Kidney, in cultivation from almost time 
immemorial, and chiefly recruited from year to year either by 
selecting tubers for planting from the best plants, or by effect¬ 
ing frequent changes of seed-tubers. The American Beauty 
of Hebron has been here some thirty years, and seems to be as 
useful and good cropping a variety as ever. Magnum Bouum 
has been with us thirty years, and still it is found that tubers 
from stocks grown in Denmark give as full crops here now as 
ever the variety did. International Kidney is still found in 
all parts of the kingdom, giving as fine crops-of tubers as ever. 
