i87i.] 



CALENDAR. 



145 



unless tlie weather be very bright, and 

 then only shade for two hours in the 

 middle of the day. During cold March 

 weather, 65" is heat sufficient for a 

 maximum at night ; when mild it may 

 range to 70" till 10 P.M., but allow it to 

 sink 5° before daylight. Give air in 

 moderate quantity for the first fourteen 

 days after shifting ; afterwards increase 

 it, as the plants begin to grow more 

 freely. Avoid in all Pine-houses cold 

 draughts as much as possible. 



Vines. — Early crops that have finish- 

 ed the stoning process, and that are re- 

 quired to ripen as early as possible, may 

 be encouraged forward more fi'eely with 

 an advance of temperature to 70° in 

 mild weather ; but if cold east winds 

 prevail, and the days be sunless, it is 

 better to force more gently, taking ad- 

 vantage of bright suns to shut up early, 

 and husband heat for the night with 

 the least possible amount of fire-heat 

 compatible with the temperature re- 

 quired. This rule is applicable to Vines 

 in all stages. We consider it preferable 

 to push on Grapes that are required 

 early in the interval between the ston- 

 ing and colouring period than to force 

 hard after the latter process commences. 

 Nearly all black Grapes colour better in 

 a moderate heat than in what may be 

 tei'med maximum or Muscat heat. As 

 soon as colouring begins, give air a 

 little more freely and decrease the 

 moisture. The increase and decrease of 

 these elements should never be sudden, 

 but gradual. A small amount of air left 

 on at night is favourable to good colour; 

 and a strip of perforated zinc or hexa- 

 gon netting placed over the openings is 

 a good plan for preventing strong blasts 

 of cold air. If the early crop is from 

 Vines in pots, a constant watch must be 

 kept to prevent their suffering from 

 either a deficiency or superabundance 

 of water. Discontinue watering with 

 manure -water when colouring com^ 

 mences. Attend to all Vines in late 

 stages, by timely stopping, thinning, 

 and tying down shoots as directed last 

 month. Young and all vigorous Vines 

 should never have their growths tied 

 down to the wires at once, or they 

 will break off at their junction with 

 the old wood. They often bear the 

 strain at the time, but give way in 

 ten or twelve hours ; and t'his applies 

 to the very best order of growths, so 

 thatcautious tying-down is a great point 

 with those who are experienced. With 

 longer days, more light, and milder 



weather, the temperature may range a 

 few degrees higher at night than for 

 last month, especially when the houses 

 can be shut up warm with sun -heat in 

 the afternoon. Examine inside borders, 

 and keep them moderately moist with 

 water at a temperature 8° or 10° more 

 than that of the atmosphere. Where 

 there are still late Grapes hanging in 

 small quantities, it is desirable for many 

 reasons to cut them, and keep them in a 

 dry front room. There are many ways 

 of preserving them ; some do it by cut- 

 ting off a piece of the Vine with the 

 bunch, and placing the end of the wood in 

 bottles of water; others stick the end of 

 the wood into a Turnip or Mangold- Wur- 

 zel. Grapes can also be kept packed in 

 cotton-wool in dry drawers. As soon 

 as they are all cut, lose no time in prun- 

 ing the Vines and dressing them as 

 directed last month. Then the house 

 can be kept cool and well aired for a 

 month at least before they begin to 

 grow. This is a good time to complete 

 making new Vine-borders and planting 

 young Vines, though it can be success- 

 fully done till midsummer. The well- 

 doing of the Vine depends to a great 

 extent on the preparation of the young 

 Vines. This was wonderfully exem- 

 plified in our own experience last 

 spring. We planted a quantity of Vines 

 in March ; some were in large pots, in 

 rich ill-drained soil ; these had long, 

 bare, straggling roots with few fibres : 

 others were grown in 6-inch pots in 

 light loam, which when shaken out look- 

 ed for all the world like the roots of a 

 Box-tree ; so full of small, short, turfy 

 roots were they, that they seemed to 

 have licked up even the very soil. The 

 latter Vines were not half the thickness 

 of the former, but they were hard as a 

 hazel rod, with prominent eyes. The 

 result in autumn was that they made 

 by far the finest Vines. Vines grown 

 on in bottom-heat, and Vines too early 

 exposed to the open air or to drenching 

 rains before either their wood or roots 

 are ripe, should be avoided. The 

 thorough maturing of the roots is a 

 most important pomt, far too often lost 

 sight of. In planting let every root be 

 carefully disentangled and spread out 

 in all directions : long bare roots are 

 best cut back to induce them to branch 

 into fibres nearer t$ie stem ; and if they 

 have been grown in rich adhesive soil, 

 give them a good washing in a pail of 

 water before planting them. After 

 washing, dash a handful of dry sand 



