Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1869 — Thinning Out Grapes. [ARTICLE]

Thinning Out Grapes.

Very few persons prune their grapevines sufficiently in Winter or early spring to make the thinning of the fruit in summer nnneccssary. In fitci, it is, taking all things into consideration, better to prune the vines rather ’long, 1 nnd then- thin out the bunches. times the professional 'grapiPgrower, who has said to himself at the time of the annual pruning,* * f if Hl leave • li*lieynore wood than usual, and than thin out the fruit,” often finds his greediness gets the better of liis judgment, and too much fruit is allowed to remain. A few bunches, perhaps, were taken out a month or two ago, but there is, and the owner and gardener knows it, far too much left for the good of both vine and fruit. How many times we have seen youiig tWo or three year-old vines with one or two hundred bunches of grapes-upon them, and perhaps the»owner Invites his friends to view the wander; but this is generally before they are ripe, because that particular time selddm comes With such prodigies of productiveness. Not many years slice we were asked toptejjditto a friend’s garden, and see a three-year-olu' Delaware vine, upon which there were two hundred and fifty bunches of very large and handsome grapes—-not ripe, however —and our friend said that he could not account for their lateness in maturing, because it was then the last of - September, and Delawares should ripen, by the first. To one who is not accustomed to such freaks of nature, it does seem strange that a vine is capable of producing and carrying to still size a crop of grapes, and yet not be title to ripen them; but, this is often the case, because the fruit does not call for but very little nutriment until the seeds form and ripening commences. It is the seeds and saccharin? matter in tlm fruit that tax the strength of the vine; therefore thinning out the bunches or 'cutting away a large portion of them When there are too many, may be done with hen efit any time before the seeds are hard and ripening commences. Those who have neglected to thin out their grapes, should do so immediately, and not be afraid of lessening the number of bunches, because a few well ripened are far better than many, green ’ohbS.— Hearth and Home. . r. _