MONTHLY CALENDAR. 685 



to give air both at front and back, to agitate the atmosphere and expel damp. 

 No plant must, on any account, be placed in the house, nor a drop of water be 

 allowed to fall on paths, &c. ; neither must the house be shut up close until 

 the beating apparatus is cold. 



2152. An increase of temperature in the absence of a current of air is most 

 injurious to ripe grapes, and causes them to decay almost sooner than anything ; 

 unless during very cold weather, a current of air should always be maintained 

 through vineries containing ripe grapes. Better that the grapes should be 

 slightly shrivelled than that they should be altogether decomposed. In 

 fact, the toughness of rind induced in the process of shrivelling is one of the 

 surest preservatives against decomposition. If the houses are not waterproof, 

 or plants must be placed in them, the best plan will be to cut and store the 

 grapes as recommended last month. 



2153. Another great point in keeping late grapes, is to keep the rain oflFth© 

 borders in which the roots are growing. This is sometimes effected by thatching 

 with straw, sometimes by the use of boarding or tai-pauling, and often by 

 spreading a layer of concrete, formed by mixing six parts of coarse gravel to 

 one of quick -lime over the surface of the border. If the border has a pitch 

 of three or more inches from back to front, and this concrete is put on about 

 three inches thick, it will furnish a cheap and efficient waterproof covering : 

 it may be removed in the spring or not, at the option of the cultivator. The 

 best grapes I have ever grown were produced from vines in a border thus 

 covered for three whole years. During that entire period they were never 

 watered, and never showed any symptoms of needing it : the surface of the 

 concrete in summer was sometimes so hot one could scarcely touch it. It 

 never cracked with the sun's rays, however, and early in October it was always 

 covered with strawy litter, to px'event the dispersion of that heat which its 

 absorptive powers had husbanded in the border. 



2154. After taking care of the grapes that we have, let us look after those 

 that are to come. The ^-inery started last month will now be breaking, and a 

 genial temperature of 50° to 55° must be maintained. This should not be 

 exceeded dui-ing this month : the absence of the sun renders rapid growth 

 now dangerous. What is gained in rapidity will be lost in solidity and 

 strength. If the sun should shine, however, an increase of 10° or 15° 

 will do no harm, but much good. See that the heat of the outside 

 borders is kept regular, avoiding all extremes : it may continue 3° in excess 

 of the inside temperature. If maintained by the aid of dung and leaves, 

 frequent examinations and turnings will be necessary to keep it right ; some- 

 times fermenting material is also used to aid other means of keeping up the 

 internal temperature. It makes a good deal of extra labour, but has the 

 great merit of both feeding and warming at the same time. Where it is used, 

 it must be partially sweetened before it is introduced, as too much rank 

 ammonia would prove destructive to the tender fohage of the vines. When 

 this is properly attended to, perhaps no food is so grateful to, nor so speedily 

 available for the vines as this. I have sometimes^ when turning this material 



