This way, particularly in a wet Year,
will keep our Vines from running into long Joints, and the Juices
consequently in digesting, as we find by experience; for no long-jointed
Shoots of Vines are fruitful as they ought to be, and rarely bear any Fruit
at all. 'Tis the short-jointed Shoots that will bear Fruit plentifully; and
where there is much Wet at the Root, you must expect very few short Joints,
and also very little Fruit: therefore, in this case, the Roots ought always
to be defended from Wet.
This Year, 1726, was, at the beginning, a gentle and moist Spring, but
_April_ and _May_ were hot; which brought every thing so forward, that our
Harvest was about five or six Weeks forwarder than it has been for several
Years past. The Case I have mention'd of the Grapes ripening naturally, was
in proportion to the forwardness of the Harvest; every thing that I have
observed in the same way was alike. The last Year was as extraordinary in
the lateness of Crops, for then everything was as backward through the
perpetual Rain we had in the Summer. Sometime or other this Memorandum may
be of use, if my Papers last so long; however, for the present, consider
how these two different Years have affected the Vine; the last wet Year
made the Vines shoot strong and vigorous, and there was no Fruit this Year:
nor was this only with us in _Britain_; but every where in _Europe_.
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