1S73-] TEMPERATURE OF FORCING-HOUSES. 255 



see no reason for supposing that Vines, Mnscats, or others would be injured by- 

 being treated to a minimum temperature of 45° before sunrise, any time up till 

 the berries are set. This is my meaning ; but let me add, that I gave that 

 figure in my December paper as the lowest to which it might be safe and necessary 

 to descend in severe weather. My object, as I clearly stated at the same time, was 

 to arrest perspiration at night, as far as that was practicable, by dispensing with 

 fire-heat. It never occurred to me that any sensible person could siippose I ob- 

 jected to a temperature of 60° for instance, or more, if the outdoor thermometer 

 stood at that figure, or near it ; the object for which I contend would be accom- 

 pKshed all the same. I feel sure that to very few readers of the ' Gardener ' 

 is it necessary for me to make this explanation. Lastly, it seems I am preach- 

 ing one doctrine and practising another — an altogether gratuitous and untenable 

 assumption on " D. J.'s" part, evincing a disposition to misconstrue my meaning 

 at all hazards ; and having done this, he, with characteristic modesty, fishes for 

 comj)liments from employers and others, for having challenged successfully my 

 December statements, as it appears some employers are more apt to believe 

 what they read than what their gardeners tell them. Now, in the April num- 

 ber, I described my own practice with perfect frankness, as I had led no one to 

 suppose, by any words of mine, that I had hitherto deviated far from the beaten 

 track. In December I only suggested lower temperatures, and said, "I meant 

 to make the experiment, and was sanguine of the result." That promise I had 

 not forgotten, and the result would have been published in the ' Gardener,' or 

 perhaps elsewhere, whether this discussion had taken place or not. 



The subject of experiment was our Muscat vinery. This house is worked in 

 connection with four other houses, is heated with hot-water pipes, and the heat 

 can be turned off by a valve in the next division, so that it is conveniently 

 placed for the experiment. About the end of February the outside border was 

 covered with 18 inches of litter and leaves, and a ridge of leaves only was laid 

 on the inside border. The Vines were started fairly at the beginning of March, 

 up to which time no fire-heat had been applied ; but from March 1st till April 

 8th, the hot water was turned on every day at 6 o'clock a.m., and turned off 

 again between 1 and 2 o'clock p.m. The day temperature ranged from 80° to 

 85°, the thermometer, as a rule, falling to 45° in the morning — sometimes, but 

 not frequently, falling as low as 40°. By April 8th the bunches were well out, 

 and most of the shoots stopped ; and a longer and higher day temperature being 

 desirable with the longer day, the heat was not turned off till 8 o'clock p.m. on 

 that date ; but finding the temperature of the house was much higher in the 

 morning than was anticipated, the heat was, on the following day (9th), turned 

 off" at 6 P.M., being turned on at C a.m. as usual; and this rule was adhered to 

 till May 10th, except on two or three occasions between the 19th and 26th of 

 April. The weather at this time was frosty, with frequent falls of snow or 

 sleet ; and the risk being too great, the heat was turned on for one hour in the 

 evening — from 9 till 10. On these occasions the lowest temperature was regis- 

 tered, showing the precaution was necessary — otherwise 45° was the allowed 

 minimum, but this was never reached, as, excepting at the date referred to, the 

 outdoor temperature was seldom much below 40°. No account was kept of the 

 day temperature, but as the weather was fine and bright during nearly the 

 whole of the time, it was seldom that less than 85° max. was recorded, and not 

 unfrequently 92° or more, so that I have for comparative purposes given the 

 mean day temperature at 87° in the following table, as being probably very 

 near the mark : — 



