THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 241 



which must be continued until the beginning of January, when 

 the night temperature should range from 70° to 75°, accord- 

 ing to the weather, and that of the day from 75° to 80\ 

 Syringing overhead must be discontinued when the young buds are 

 a couple of inches long ; but the atmospheric moisture must be 

 regularly kept up until the berries begin to colour, with the ex- 

 ception of when the grapes are in bloom ; at that season it must be 

 kept rather dry, but not so thoroughly dry as we frequently see 

 practised. 



The bunches should be thinned immediately the berries are large 

 enough, and not more than six or eight bunches allowed to each 

 vine, as these numbers are as many as an ordinary vine will finish 

 off well. When they are first brought into the house, those iutended 

 for training up the roof should be brought down horizontallv, to 

 equalize the flow of sap and insure the bottom buds breaking 

 strongly. Those intended for dinner-table decoration are fixed to 

 trainers, made with stout iron rods, about three feet high, and with 

 three prongs at the bottom, made to fit inside the small pot, and a 

 ring of stout wire on the top, forming a flat trellis of two feet across, 

 to which the vines are trained. It is not necessary to bend these 

 down, as all the buds on the trellis will be on the same level. The 

 buds which break up the stem should be removed as fast as they 

 make their appearance. 



The compost in which the vines are grown consists of good turfy 

 loam chopped up roughly, and mixed with two pecks of partly- 

 decayed horse-droppings, and half a peck of " inch " bones, to each 

 barrowfal. "When in full growth, we give them weak manure-water 

 about twice a week, and clear water when required. The vines must 

 not be allowed to suffer for want of water, for when that happens 

 more mischief is done than is commonly supposed, and I have known 

 more than one total failure ensue from this cause. Some growers 

 allow them to become so dry that a large proportion of the roots 

 perish, and then wonder why the grapes shank, or are deficient in 

 colour. Too much water is quite as injurious as not enough ; the 

 vines, therefore, should have no more than is sufficient to keep them 

 in a free, healthy, growing condition. The whole of the pot- vines 

 here are started in a house used for growing pine-suckers through 

 the summer, and when sufficiently advanced to bear the heat of the 

 fruiting pinery are removed into that structure, where they remain 

 until the grapes are ripe. "We thus obtain a good lot of grapes 

 with no expenditure for fuel beyond what is required for starting 

 them. 



Destroying Ants. — Powdered chalk has heen recommended for driving 

 ants out of melon frames. The chalk should be sprinkled over the surface of 

 the bed. Thousands may be destroyed in a very short space of time with the aid of 

 a sponge and a little powdered "lump" sugar. A rather course sponge is preferable, 

 and it should be placed in an earthenware saucer, such as flower-pots are stood in, 

 and then sprinkle all over with finely-powdered sugar. Stand the saucer upon the 

 soil, and in a very short time the ants will swarm into the sponge, and may then be 

 destroyed by shaking them out of the sponge into a vessel of hot water. Replace the 

 sponge in the saucer, shake more sugar over it, and replace in the frame again, and 

 repeat every morning until the frame is cleared of these pests. We cannot possiblv 

 answer letters privately. 



VOL. VI. — KO. VIII. 1G 



