i88t.] the GRAPE-VINE CONTROVERSY. 559 



setting point, I contented myself with trying to secure as good results the fol- 

 lowing year as was possible under the circumstances. As I had anticipated, the 

 Grapes were nothing to boast of ; still, they were very fair, and finished off 

 well, with not many shanked berries. The following season (1870) I com- 

 menced to force the first week in February. Instead of the dry litter on the 

 border, I put 3 feet of hot dung and leaves, and kept this renewed till the 

 ripening stage of the Grapes was reached. I also made daily notes of the day 

 and night temperatures, also of the weather, from the beginning of the forcing 

 to the finishing otf of the Grapes, in the hope that I might gain some addi- 

 tional knowledge on the " setting " question. The season passed over, how- 

 ev'er, without my gaining anything very definite on this point. Like the 

 previous season, it had been a very beautiful and sunny one, especially all 

 through the blooming period. I had a splendid "set," and the Grapes were 

 fine both in bunch and berry, and finished off with a good colour. Some of 

 the bunches were 5 lb. in weight, and the average through the house 3 lb. 

 The Vines were in robust health, and showed they were benefiting by the new 

 compost. I had had no misgivings this time on the score of the " low night- 

 temperature." One thing I had observed particularly, as I had observed the 

 previous season, that two Vines at the hottest end of the house, and immedi- 

 ately over two 6-inch flow-pipes direct from the boiler — one for the heating of 

 this house, and the other, which had to pass through it on its way to heat the 

 early vinery — had by far the lest set bunches. 



I commenced forcing again for the season 1871 at the same time and 

 under the same circumstances as the last. But what a contrast in the 

 weather to the two previous seasons. It turned out to be a cold, wet, sunless, 

 and late spring. There was barely one sunny day all through the blooming 

 period. And what about the " set " ? Well, it proved to be as remarkable, 

 in contrast to the two previous ones, as the weather was. In place of a " good 

 set, " there was a most wretched one — not a full or presentable bunch in the 

 whole house, except on the tv:o Vines over the hot-water -pipes, and these were not 

 nearly so full as previously. There were nine Vines in the house — seven Mus- 

 cat of Alexandria, and two Black West's St Peter. The latter, at the cool 

 end of the house, had not a dozen set berries on them. 



On comparing my notes which I had of the temperatures for the two last 

 seasons, I found the night-temperature had differed but little. On very mild 

 nights it had not been higher than 50°, and on the coldest as low as 42° to 45°. 

 There was, however, a very great difference in the day-temperatures during 

 the blooming periods. For the season 1870, with bright sun, the temperature 

 had run up to 80° and 85°, with air on. But for the dull period of 1871, with 

 but little or no sun, we could not force the temperature higher than 55° to 60° at 

 the most, with fire-heat. From this I concluded that I had gained the infor- 

 mation I had so much desired, and led me to conclude that " low night-tem- 

 peratures " have very little to do with the " actual setting" of the fruit ; and 

 that a rather high day-temperature, with "sun-light," and a moving atmo- 

 sphere, are the prime necessary agents for a good " set," especially for Muscat 

 Grapes. 



It is said that during the dark hours of the night "all nature" is at rest. 

 I cannot say if my premisses be correct, but I think the pollen and sexual 

 organs of flowers are not in a state to be fructified during the dark, cool, and 

 moister atmosphere of the night, and that it requires the influence of sun-light, 

 a warmer and drier air, to bring them to this state. J. K. K. 



Herts. 



