130 FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



must be taken to keep up a moist brisk heat, as too 

 much cold retards the growth of the young fruit, 

 which will be perceived by the bunches turning up 

 at the point, which is always a bad sign. The bot- 

 tom of the house and flues may be kept moderately 

 moist in order to give a moist heat. The tempera- 

 ture of the house may be kept at night, at fire heat, 

 from 65 to 70, and sun heat in the day from 80 

 to 85 with air, which may be continued until the 

 ripening of the fruit. 



Swelling the fruit. So soon as the fruit shows 

 in the bunch as large as a very small pea, apply the 

 syringe in a very gentle manner. It will be recol- 

 lected that the fruit in this state is very delicate ; ap- 

 ply the syringe, if in a partial manner on a few bunch- 

 es that are set over the flue at the warm end of the 

 house. When the whole of the house is well set, 

 syringe regularly in the morning a little after sunrise, 

 in order that the vines may get dry before it is too 

 strong ; and in all cases give a little air in the least 

 possible quantity at the back of the house. A brisk 

 moist heat may be kept up, and the house always 

 closed about an hour before sundown ; but care 

 must be taken that it is not too damp, which is 

 sometimes, perhaps, the cause of mildew. 



Thinning the bunches and fruit. When the 

 bunches are all set, and all is going on well, the 

 house may undergo a regular thinning of the bunch- 

 es, and I would recommend in most cases that one 

 bunch only be left on a weak shoot, and two on a 

 strong. Remember you want fruit next year, and 

 if you overload this, some deficiency will be in the 

 next, if not the present year. The fruit will not be 

 so well ripened, nor good in quality, and besides, you 



