CALET^DAR OF OPERATIONS. 179 



rays strike them. During these cold days, do not open 

 any but tlie top ventilators, and these no more than is 

 necessary to keep the thermometer from rising too high. 

 Damp the floor, sides and ends of the house, so as to 

 secure a humid atmosphere, which will assist the circu- 

 lation of the sap, the leaves absorbing the moisture 

 through the stomata, or breathing pores, on the under 

 side. Be careful to keep a steady range of temperature 

 from 60° at midnight, and 75° in cloudy, with a rise or 

 85° to 90° on sunny days. Break off all superfluous 

 growing shoots, thin the berries early, and reduce the 

 crop down to what is finally intended, so that the vines 

 may be eased as much as possible. The directions for 

 January, in the Forcing House, will now apply to the 

 Second Early. 



RETARDING HOUSE. 



Keep the atmosphere dry and cool, but if there be any 

 grapes still hanging on the vines, do not let the frost in. 

 At this time the vines should be resting, consequently 

 care ought to be used in preventing the house from be- 

 coming heated. If the pruning is not finished, do it im- 

 mediately, clean the vines, as previously advised for other 

 crops, and lower the canes down from the roof, that the 

 Bun may not have so much influence upon them. It is 

 much better to get a tardy development than to have a 

 low temperature during growth. 



APRIIi. 



Comparatively speaking, the grape grower will now 

 begin to have busy work. The various successions of the 

 exotics are more or less in activity, from the swelling bud 

 to full-sized grapes, and the natives are beginning to de- 

 velop, which renders it necelsary that we should be on 

 the alert. 



