HASTENING THE MATURITY OF THE GRAPE. 231 



CHAPTER XHL 



METHOD OF HASTENING THE MATURITY OF THE GRAPE. 



SEVERAL methods have been proposed for causing 

 grapes to ripen at an earlier period of the season than 

 usual, or in localities where they would not other- 

 wise ripen at all. The most successful, and, on the 

 large scale, economical, mode of effecting this is un- 

 doubtedly by means of glass houses, either with or 

 without fire heat. A description of these is beyond 

 the limits assigned to this work, though we may, per- 

 haps, be allowed briefly to describe two devices of 

 this nature, by which a few bunches may be matured 

 at small expense and with very little trouble. 



" More than twenty years ago, a market gardener 

 at Bath published a plan of ripening grapes under 

 common hand-glasses. He planted the vines in a 

 soil composed in great part of lime rubbish ; placed a 

 glass over each plant, taking out half a pane in its 

 summit through which the leading shoot of the vine 

 protruded itself, and grew in the open air. The 

 bunch or bunches of grapes remained within the 

 hand-glass, and -enjoyed the advantages of protection 



