174 THE GRAPE. 



exert his best skill. See to the covering of the borders ; 

 be sure these are right. — (See page 81.) In the first 

 early house the vines will be considerably advanced m 

 gr')wth — perhaps, near blooming — and the temperature, 

 in such case, may range from 60° at night, to 85° 

 ill the day, with sunshine, or 75° without it. When 

 the blossoms begin to expand, cease watering overhead 

 until the berries are set, but damp the surface of the 

 floor, and over the heating apparatus, while the house is 

 still warm in the afternoon. The second early house will 

 be about starting, for which see page 84. These direc- 

 tions will apply to this house now. See, also, page 87. 



RETARDING HOUSE. 



This part of grape-culture has not yet become as gen- 

 eral as it ought to be. The object is to keep back or 

 retard the ripening of the fruit (fully explained on page 

 98), so as to have it fit for use during the winter months. 

 To the commercial grower we here more particularly 

 speak, as, during the winter months, a higher price is 

 paid for grapes than at any other season of the year. 

 At present the demand far exceeds the supply. Instead 

 of fine black Hamburgs, or others of like quality, there 

 is nothing for sale but the White Lisbon and Black Por- 

 tugal — two inferior kinds, which are rendered still worse 

 by long keeping, and the sea-voyage from Portugal and 

 other parts of southern Europe. As the grapes ought 

 now to be hanging ripe in this house, constant slow fires 

 are necessary to keep out the frost. Do not let the tem- 

 perature rise higher than from 40° to 45° at night, 

 and 55° in the day. No water is required, and every 

 precaution should be used to maintain a dry atmos- 

 phere, and the bunches free from decaying berries. 

 For pruning, see page 101. 



