560 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



THE n RAPE -VINE COXTliOVERSY. 



Mr Simpson has raised a controversy in regard to low night-tempera- 

 ture in the cultivation of the Grape-Vine, which it is desirable should 

 be discussed in all its bearings, in order to discover whether there is 

 really anything in the system he advocates worthy of general adop- 

 tion, as his ideas clash against all our preconceived notions of the 

 treatment necessary to produce good Grapes. 



As far as my own experience goes, my opinion is that good Grapes 

 cannot be grown and properly ripened — at any rate, in the northern 

 parts of the kingdom— in a lower night-temperature than from 55° to 

 60° in the case of Hamburgs, and a minimum of from 60° to 65° in 

 the case of Muscats, Arc. — with a rise of 10° at night in the case of 

 Hamburgs when in flower; and for Muscats, a minimum night-tempera- 

 ture of 70° at this stage, or even 5° higher than that, will do more good 

 than harm. This is what we aim at in our own practice ; and though 

 we do not rigidly adhere to it through thick and thin, but rather allow 

 the inside temperature to fluctuate in proportion to the temperature 

 outside, we endeavour to come as near to it as circumstances will allow. 

 Except when the Vines are breaking into growth, we never use the 

 syringe, merely contenting ourselves with damping down the paths, 

 ifec, at closing time, and keeping the borders well supplied with water; 

 and we very rarely are troubled with red-spider. 



As a rule, it will be found that the best -set and best-coloured 

 bunches of Muscats and other shy-setting sorts are at the warm end 

 of the houses, over the pipes where they enter the house, and along 

 the top of the rods, — thus showing that the hot dry air at these places 

 assists in causing them to set better. 



As a case in point against a continuous low temperature in Grape- 

 growing, I may be allowed to mention what has come under my own 

 experience here. We have two lean-to houses, which are apart and 

 behind our principal range. The houses were originally built as 

 fruiting Pine stoves. They are, however, wider and loftier than are 

 generally used for Pine-growing, being 16 feet high at back, 18 feet wide, 

 with front lights 4 feet high, and are or were heated with smoke-flues. 

 I don't know how long ago, but probably twenty-five years or so, Pine- 

 growing was abandoned, and the houses planted with Black Ham- 

 burg Vines, which were planted in an outside border, and brought 

 through the front wall nearly at the ground-level. These Vines had done 

 good work in their day; but when I took charge of them, both houses 

 and Vines were in a very dilapidated condition. Immediately after I 

 entered on my duties here, we began the erection of a long range of 

 forcing-houses. It was put up in four sections, each section being 

 done in a year, so that the work was four years in hands. The first 

 two sections being mainly vineries and Peach-houses, I found that 

 with growing a good many pot-Vines and supernumeraries among tlie 



