326 VILLA GARDENING part iv 



because after the Grapes are cut the house may be thrown opeu ami 

 kept cool till March. The bunches of Grapes should be cut -with 

 a good piece of wood from the bottom of the branch, which will be 

 inserted in a bottle of water containing a small quantity of animal 

 charcoal The bottles, each containuig a branch, from which hangs 

 a bunch of Grapes, are placed in a slanting position in racks, so 

 that the bunches hang clear of everything. The Grape-room 

 should be kept at a regidar temperature of 53° to 55°, and must 

 be so ventilated that no moisture can lodge on the berries. 



CHAPTER III 



The Amateur's Vinery. — -The cidture of Grapes under glass 

 is not a very old business, for at the beginning of the present 

 century Forsythe, the Royal gardener of the period, speaks of oj^en- 

 air Grapes being sent to the Royal table. Anything which creates 

 a genial atmosphere increases the value of the crop of Grapes. I 

 have seen good Grapes grown in a turf pit with nothing but glass 

 lights laid across the l)anks. When it was fine every other light 

 was tilted up dming the day, being closed again at night. Though 

 good Grapes have been grown in very unlikely-looking places, still 

 it is well, when one has any choice in the matter, to have a light, 

 well-constructed, properly-ventilated structure. Light, with abun- 

 dant means of ventilation, must be insisted on. Except for an 

 early crop a span-roofed house is a desirable form, because it aftbrds 

 plenty of light and a good length of rafter to train the vine rods to. 

 The vines may either be all planted on one side and trained 

 over, or they may be run over alternately from each side. I 

 recollect an inexpensive kind of vinery that came under my notice 

 some years ago, which was built and entirely managed by the 

 amateur himself ; it produced Grajies of a superior quality. There 

 was not a brick used in its construction. The wall-plates were 

 laid on the tops of Larch poles, which could be had cheaply in the 

 neighbourhood. These were firmly fixed in the ground 4 feet 

 apart on each side. The space between the wall-plates and the 

 ground was boarded up, openings being left about 4 feet apart near 

 the ground line for ventilation. There was an opening all along 

 the ridge for ventilation also, which was protected by a movable 

 cap that worked with a lever. There was no upright glass on the 

 sides, but the ends, except 3 feet at the bottom, were glass ; and 

 the roof had rather a steep pitch, for the purpose of getting rid of 

 the water quickly. The vines were trained to wire fixed 18 inches 

 from the glass. The lights were made at home by a carpenter at 



