CULTURE OF VINES IN POTS. 



507 



ters, to be hung on hinges, so as to have 

 ingress to cover or uncover the gutters, 

 when required. At the end of the air 

 chamber should be an opening, for the 

 escape of the heated air. The top of the 

 chamber may be covered with boards, and 

 on it sufficient rotten leaves, or tan, to 

 plunge the pots in. The height of the air 

 chamber must be so regulated as to have a 

 space of two feet and a half left between 

 the glass and the top of the pots. A walk 

 should go down the centre of the house; 

 and if sunk twelve or fourteen inches, it 

 will act as an air drain, to conduct the co'd 

 air over the fire, where it enters a small 

 drain, projecting two feet into the walk, 

 and communicating with the bottom of air 

 chamber, where the fire enters, will give 

 satisfaction ; although it will act very well, 

 if there is an opening twelve inches wide, 

 left to communicate with the chamber, 

 when the walk is upon a perfect level with 

 bottom of the air chamber. There should 

 be a drain communicating with the bottom 

 of the air chamber and the external air, 

 which should be provided with a slide, so 

 as to supply fresh atmospheric air when 

 required. This apparatus, for economy of 

 fuel, simplicity, and efficiency, has no rival; 

 as it also supplies a steady, safe, and mild 

 bottom heat, by the same machinery as is 

 required to heat the air of the interior of 

 the house. To be complete, a cistern should 

 run the whole length of the house, and be 

 placed i/iside, and extend from the front 

 wall to the walk, and three feet deep, at 

 least. It may be built of brick, and ce- 

 mented, or of lumber, and lined with zinc. 

 No house should be without a good cistern, 

 to be supplied from the roof, and of suffi- 

 cient capacity to be adequate to the con- 

 sumption of the house in the greatest drouth. 

 Training. — The vines are to be trained 

 down the rafters, twelve inches from the 



glass. Each sash will accommodate two. 

 By training them downwards, they will 

 develope every bud, and break regularly 

 down to the bottom of the pot; whereas, if 

 trained up the rafter, in the usual way, 

 they would break too vigorously at the 

 terminal bud, which would rob the other 

 eyes of a due supply of sap ; consequently, 

 they would remain inert, which would cur- 

 tail the crop in a serious measure. 



Soil. — The soil that is best adapted to 

 vine culture in pots, is a good hazel loam, 

 not too stiff' in texture, with plenty of turfy 

 fibre in it, and a fourth of good decayed 

 " bog eart/i,^' which has been frequently 

 turned, and exposed to the action of a win- 

 ter's frost. This bog earth abounds with 

 the richest decomposed vegetable matter, 

 and is found in most swamps. One pint 

 of fine salt should be added to each bushel 

 of soil, and the whole thoroughly incorpo- 

 rated together. In this soil they attain a 

 degree of luxuriance seldom witnessed. 



Water. — Use pure, soft rain water, ?f 

 possible; and if '■'■ weW^ water, mix nitrate 

 of soda, as before directed, and guano twice 

 a week. 



Temperature. — Supposing the vines to 

 be introduced on the first of November, 

 the house should be kept very moist and 

 "close," if the thermometer does not range 

 higher than 60^ Fahrenheit, in the day, — 

 allowing it to sink to 40° at night. This 

 treatment may be pursued for the first two 

 weeks, then gradually increase the tempe- 

 rature with a corresponding amount of 

 moisture, till it reaches 65° at night, and 

 75^ in the day, till the first week in De- 

 cember, The shoots will now be six or 

 seven inches in length, and the bunches 

 well developed. Select six of the best, and 

 disbud all the others ; pinch otT the shoots 

 one joint beyond the bunch, and keep them 

 closely stopped ; increase the temperature 



