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_. The
last Year produced such Floods, from the continued Rains at unexpected
Seasons, as was never known in the memory of Man, the Vines shot
vigorously; and this Year there were very few Grapes of the first Crop: but
this Summer was so good and favourable, by its warm Months at the beginning
of the Summer, that the Vines abroad shot out fresh Crops, or second Crops
or Grapes, which made up for the other deficiency. I expect the next Year
from hence, that the Vines will produce a full Crop of Grapes abroad,
because this Year has settled the Juices, and digested them; but what
Season there may be for ripening, is still uncertain, especially when we
have the two last Years in view. But in our Gardens, I fear, we shall have
worse success; for what this Year has done, will give the Gardeners
generally a hard piece of work; for, as I imagine, there was little care
taken in the beginning of the Year to lay up the Vines, especially because
there was but a small, or no appearance of Grapes then; and the neglect of
that Season in managing of Vines, will be the occasion of losing the Crop
the next Year. What I say here about the management of Vines in the early
part of the Year, I have already treated of in my other Works.