132 FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION* 



the berries and finding the seed hard, the syringe 

 may be more generally applied. The temperature 

 may be now a little raised in order to swell the fruit 

 more freely ; and every precaution must be taken to 

 keep a clean and wholesome air in the house. 



Ripening the fruit. -^-Wh^n the fruit begins to 

 color, the syringe may be suspended, and the house 

 be kept dry. The temperature may be kept from 

 70 to 80 degrees fire heat, at night, if the fruit is in 

 haste to be ripened, although 70 degrees will an- 

 swer a better purpose if not in haste. Plenty of 

 air should be given in a fine day in order to color 

 and give flavor to the fruit ; in this manner the house 

 may be managed until the fruit is all ripe and cut 

 from the vine. The sashes should then be taken off 

 and the house fully exposed to the sun and air, in 

 order to ripen the wood previous to the ensuing 

 winter, when the glasses may again be put on the 

 house. 



General remarks on grape forcing. The ex- 

 perienced forcer will perceive that the heat herein 

 recommended is somewhat higher than is generally 

 recommended by practical forcers, who have written 

 en the grape in England ; my object in which is to 

 biing the fruit to maturity early in the season, to 

 evade the mildew, which in most cases is destruc- 

 tive to the grape late in summer. My secondary 

 object is, considering this climate of a more clear 

 atmosphere, and more sun in the early part of the 

 spring, admitting more external air to the house, 

 which should be modified by internal heat from fire, 

 in which case I have generally found the impure va- 

 por ascending from internal heat is much rectified 

 by the admission of the external air. 



