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" In winter, the shoot from the ex- i of every month till April. Where there 

 tremity of the bearing branch is cut off, are but three houses, it will be early 

 at the top of the roof, or within twelve \ enough to commence the first house in 

 or fifteen inches of it, and the shoot j November, the second in February, 

 from the spur is cut down to the mid- | and the third in April. To cause the 

 die of the roof, and all the spurs which vines to break equally all the length of 

 had borne the grapes are now cut out. | the shoot, tie them down to the front 

 Each vine is now furnished with two i windows, until the buds are all expand- 

 shoots of bearing wood, a part of old ed, that one part of it may not be more 



barren wood, and a spur for producing 

 a young shoot the following year. In 

 the fourth summer a full crop is pro- 

 duced, both in the upper and lower 

 half of the house. The longer shoot 

 bearing on the upper half of its length, 

 and the shorter on its whole length; a 

 leading shoot is produced from the short 

 shoot, and another from the spur 



excited than another. 



" When every bud has pushed, care- 

 fully separate the vines one by one; 

 and as it is convenient, regulate the 

 shoots, stop them, and tliin the number 

 of branches, and do all that is required. 

 Then tie them up loosely to the rafter; 

 and should they hang down a foot from 

 the glass, it is an advantage, especially 



" In the pruning season of the fourth I during the early part of the season.' 



year, the centre shoot is entirely re- 

 moved, and replaced by the side shoot, 

 now the whole length of the roof, and 

 this side shoot is in its turn supplanted 

 by the shoot from the spur, while a spur 

 is prepared to succeed it. 



" Summer Pruning. — Mr. Mearns 

 gives the following directions : — ' Stop 

 the bearing branches at the bunch, in 



Syringing and Steaming. — " During 

 the time of forcing the vine (unless they 

 are in blossom) and the ripening of the 

 fruit, syringe them freely with rain- 

 water, morning and evening, all over; 

 also steam the houses by pouring water 

 on the pipes or flues, to keep up a 

 moisture in the air. It is beneficial to 

 the growth of the plant, swells the ber- 



stead of the next joint above it, which \ ries, and keeps down the red spider 

 is the usual practice; for I found that] While the vines are in blossom, refrain 

 the fruit did equally well, and it divest- I from syringing, but use the steam freely, 

 ed the branch of an incumbrance, while ; " When the berries begin to colour, 

 it allowed a much larger portion of light also cease syringing; but use the steam 

 to come into the house, together with a a fortnight longer, though only at night 



more free circulation of air among the 

 fruit and young wood. I blind all the 

 eyes on each fruit spur as soon as they 

 push above a joint or two, before I 

 pinch them back, always cautiously re- 

 taining one eye ; and am particularly 

 cautious that nothing should happen to 

 injure the leaf that accompanies the 

 bunch, for if that is lost, the fruit of 

 course will come to nothing."' — Hort. 

 Soc. Trans. 

 Forcing. — This is sometimes com 



As soon as the grapes are nearly ripe, 

 keep as dry an atmosphere as possible, 

 both to give the fruit a good flavour, 

 and to ripen the wood." 



Covering the Border. — "This in the 

 early part of the forcing season is ab- 

 solutely necessary, using either light 

 horse-litter, or fresh-gathered leaves. 

 No frost must be allowed to reach the 

 stems or roots ; if it does, the vines 

 will droop when the sun shines, and 

 the bunches will be crippled, and per- 



menced in September, but the close of i haps never come out properly. A tar- 

 ihe next month is sufficiently early. ' paulin is useful to cover the litter and 

 Mr. Appleby, of Macclesfield, gives dung, to keep off the heavy rains and 

 the following very full and excellent snow." 



directions: — "In places where there 1 Temperature. — " Commence forcing 

 are a number of houses devoted to the I the vine with a low temperature. The 

 vine, it is possible to have ripe grapes I first week keep up the heat to 50o, the 

 all the year round. To accomplish this second to 60°, the third to 65°, and the 



completely, six houses are necessary 

 though it may in some degree be done 

 with three. In the former case, the 

 first house ought to be started at the 

 end of October, the second on the first 

 of December, and so on, the first day 



fourth to 70 Night temperature about 

 10° lower. A good rule is 60o for vines 

 in leaf, and 70^ when blooming and 

 ripening fruit ; the night temperature 

 may then be 20° lower." 



Setting the Fruit. — " To effect the 



