29 o THE FRUIT GROWERS GUIDE. 



saturated condition of the soil in autumn is disastrous, and, as a rule, judicious protec- 

 tion is advised when it is desired to keep late grapes on the vines. Eemove the 

 covering before late vines are started, and expose the soil to the weather from March 

 to October. 



Resting Period. After the leaves fall the vinery should be kept as cool as is prac- 

 ticable. Air ought to be freely admitted when the weather is mild, both day and night, 

 and the house need not be closed except during severe frost. Moderate frost will do 

 no harm to vines when resting ; but when the days are bright and the temperature is 

 raised so as to cause the sap to move, frost should be excluded. Sun heat with abun- 

 dance of ventilation never acts prejudicially on vines at rest. It is the undue 

 artificial warmth regularly maintained that causes the buds to swell prematurely. This 

 must be avoided and as long a rest accorded as possible. The drier the atmosphere the 

 better, but the border must not be allowed to become dust-dry or the roots will suffer ; 

 therefore keep the soil moist. 



Forcing Vines for Early Grapes. All vines grown under glass are forced, wholly 

 in cool houses by the sun, and artificially in heated structures by the aid of flues or 

 hot- water pipes, supplemented in some cases by fermenting materials, and always with 

 the best of all heat, that of the sun ; the more there is of this, under careful guidance, 

 the better are the grapes. Yines have been forced so as to ripen their fruit in January ; 

 they were pruned in August and started at once, but better grapes were had by the careful 

 keeping of bunches ripened in the autumn than those produced by this extreme forcing. 

 Late grapes varieties with thick skins may be kept several months not only without 

 prejudice but with improvement in quality, and the extreme early forcing of permanent 

 vines is now seldom practised. To have ripe grapes in March the vines should be 

 started not later than early November. Vines grown in pots, specially for forcing, are 

 now employed to produce very early grapes, instead of permanent vines. These pot- 

 vines are of no use for forcing again. A sufficient number are raised annually and 

 grown a couple of years, to produce, as Mr. D. Thomson describes them, " canes like 

 walking-sticks, and buds like nuts." Maturing their growths early, they respond 

 to heat and moisture readily at a time when the weather is most unfavourable. This 

 forms a special branch and will be treated presently ; therefore, we need only say in this 

 place that to have fresh ripe grapes in March and April they are best secured from vines 

 in pots. 



Time Required from Starting the Vines to the Fruit Ripening. This for Frontignan 



