FORCING GRAPES IN POTS. 469 



simple matter if a few strong pegs are provided to fasten the shoot 

 down as the work proceeds, and it will enable you not only to secure 

 the best buds at the top of the vine, but will also add materially to 

 the strength of the plant by the new roots that will be made from the 

 coiled part of the shoot. 



Well-ripened grapes are wanted in March and April, and therefore 

 it will be necessary to commence forcing the first week in October. 

 The first thing then will be to collect some leaves, or leaves and dung, 

 sufficient to fill the bed and produce a nice bottom heat ; then take 

 the plants and place them upon the bed, but do not press the fermenting 

 material around the pots until such time as the buds begin to break. 

 To ensure their doing so at this early season it will be necessary to 

 tie or peg the shoots down quite horizontally, or if they are tied to a 

 straight lath they will be none the worse. At the commencement of 

 the forcing the temperature of the house should not exceed 50 to 55, 

 while if the bottom heat can be kept 10 to 15 in excess of that tem- 

 perature the roots will take precedence of the branches, which is a 

 sure presage of their breaking regularly and well. As the shoots 

 progress increase the temperature 3 or 4 a week until a minimum of 

 58 by night and 65 by day, with a rise of 10 to 15 by sun heat is 

 attained. This will be sufficient until the bunches begin to assume 

 their proper form, and then 60 to 65 by night and 10 more on 

 bright days will be sufficient. From the moist heat that will be 

 generated by the fermenting material much syringing will not be 

 required over the vines ; but it will be wise to sprinkle the bed and 

 walls, and a little over the vines on bright mornings up to the time of 

 their coming into bloom will not do any harm. During the winter it 

 is not wise to train the branches nearer than fifteen inches from the 

 glass, and in very cold weather they may be lowered to eighteen 

 inches from the glass with decided advantage. Water at the roots will 

 not be required in any great quantity, and whatever is used must be 

 warm. 



In treating the vines it will be necessary to thin out the branches 

 directly the strongest bunches of fruit can be seen, of course retaining 

 the best and casting the others away. Do not leave more than one 

 branch upon a shoot, and stop about three leaves before the bunch. 

 During the time the vines are in bloom, the sprinkling at that dark 

 season must be discontinued ; however, after the fruit is set, the 

 sprinkling must be resumed, but there must be no more syringing of the 

 vines. Your bunches being fairly set, reduce them to the required 

 number, and thin out the berries directly they are the size of very 

 small peas. 



Of course when the grapes are set there is nothing to do but to 

 force away, maintaining a brisk moist temperature until such time as 

 the fruit begins to colour : then more air must be given, but even 

 then do not run to the other extreme of a dry arid atmosphere. From 

 vines started the first week in October we have cut ripe, well-matured 

 grapes the last week in March ; but it is severe work, and the same 

 vines, started a month or six weeks later, would produce a much finer 



