Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-29

Il believe 1t 10 d maxim. At least IN 3&r0en10k.
ID lat v hat is worth doing at all 10 worth dong
well. But In thinning grapes this axtJm
seems 10 Do an exception rather than the rule,
as m net have been evident apon an examin-
alton Of the grapes exhI bited a. the MassAchu.
sets horticultural Society's Show, last Sep
TENDER. Instead OF the punches remaining
close and compact, when laid on the dish,
they spread ont all over the dish, thereby
destroying the whole beauty OF the onncn,
which should be compact and retain its form
as when han ging upon the vine. Now this
q ute excueaole in amateurs and young be-
Rinners bat from experienced and profess
sional gardeners something better is exp scted.
Twenty years ago, IN your Magazine, you
called attantion to the subject OF thinning
grapes, and gave an account Of Mr.. Roberts
practice. al carried ont by him. at once
adopted his system, and now, after q practice
of twenty years, cannot do better than to
quote your own remarks at that time This
operation - generally altogether too care
lessly done. Our attention was first drawn
upon the vine by Mr.. Roberts, one Of the best
modern cultivators of the gra pc in England.
The ordinary mode Of thinning grapes is to
cut them out here and there in sufficient
remaining berries, regardless Of the true form
OF the bunch. We cannot do better than to
quote Mr.. Roberts own words, detailing is
practice. The time Of thinning reco mmenl
Is when the berries are well set, CT q tain the
size Of No. or shot, beginning At the bottom
OF the bunch, leaving the l-ading berry il
pCS>tulc, odO nCCOLOlhk W tu6 klQO Oh grape,
taking care to thin Judiciousiy, as there is q
great difference between the Cannon Hall
Muscat, and From tigan, as TO size. As you
proceed, thinning upwards on the bunch, say
for an inch or two more Or less from the bot
tom. you find the peduncles or footstalks, or
what more technical term you may apply to
them, to consists of three berries, the leading
one, and enc on each My side practice is to
leave the leader or center berry, taking of the
other two. As you approach higher up the
bunch, or approaching the middle part, such
sorts as the Ham burgs form q sort Of second
airy shoulder, and upon the sides of these you
VIII find them set on in throes. Proceed to
thin as tor the bottom, leaving the leading
berries, taking of the side ones as before,
proceeding upwards to the top OF the bunch
to the main shou lders, suspending or raising
the shoulders with strands of soft mating,
and thinning the same as before men tioned,
taking care to remove all inside berries, as
they scarcely ever color well, and if the
grapes have to hang long on the vine they
contribute to mouldiness in rainy weather
The above system of thinning leaves q bunch
equally balanced, each berry acting its own
part and not robbing another, will be found to
assume strong bold foOtstalk, and be regular
as to size in every part OF the bunch.
Now, sir. IL our grape growers would adopt
this method OF thinning We should then see
punches of grapes retain their proper form
and size. and by this method the thinning is
accomplished at once. and the less q bunch of
grapes is handled the better.-S. Jordan in
Horeys Magazine for June