706 



AMPELIDE.E. IV. Vms. 



long jointed, and subsequently barren. As much air as possible 

 is given during the summer, but as the autumn advances more 

 caution on this point is observed. He endeavours to have the 

 fruit perfectly coloured before the approach of the dark season, 

 for if the colouring be deferred too long the berries will never ac- 

 quire their proper flavour. The first object is to ripen the fruit 

 well, after that to maintain a more passive vegetation ; if this be 

 managed well the bunches will remain for months without any 

 apparent alteration. Great care must be observed to remove any 

 berries inclining to damp, otherwise the crop will soon be spoil- 

 ed. The Muscat of Alexandria, St. Peter's, and Black Damascus 

 are best adapted for late crops. The gathering begins about the 

 middle of January, and continues till the end of March, when 

 the early house is in bearing. The pruning is the same as that 

 adopted for the early house ; no wood is suffered to remain with- 

 out fruit. It will sometimes happen that the plants will bleed 

 at the spring pruning ; the best way to stop this is by keeping 

 the house warmer for a few days, which seldom fails. After the 

 crop is gathered the house is unroofed, to restore the elastic 

 power of the wood. Vines in pineries should always be turned 

 out of doors for a few weeks, for it has been observed that vines 

 always push vigorously after having been exposed to frosty 

 weather for a few weeks. 



Care of outside stems. The stems on the outside of the house 

 should be guarded against the stagnating effects of cold, by a 

 bandage of hay or moss, and a mulching of dry litter over the 

 roots. The excluded stems must be protected in the same way 

 at the beginning of the forcing season. It will also be advise- 

 able, while the vines are young, to cover the outside border in 

 winter with strawy dung taken from the outside of the hot-beds. 

 Abercrombie. J. Griffin keeps the stems of the vines inside 

 moist, from the time of beginning to force till the bunches 

 show themselves, by daily watering them with a syringe. Some 

 gardeners lap the stems round with moss, which they keep moist 

 for two or three months. These two methods contribute to the 

 production of vigorous shoots. 



Temperature. Abercrombie says, begin at 50 min. to 55 

 max., in a week raise the min. to 55, the max. to 60. Till the 

 time of budding it should not exceed 60 by artificial means, and 

 64 by collected sun heat. After the buds are in full motion, it 

 may be raised to 60 min. 64 max. from fire, and 68 from sun 

 heat. By the time the bloom expands it should be 66 min. and 

 72 max. by fire, and when the sun's influence is strong, let it be 

 accumulated by confining the interchange of air to the ventilators 

 till the heat rises to 80. After the fruit is set, the min. should 

 be 75, and fresh air plentifully admitted. M'Phail observes, 

 nature should be imitated by increasing the heat as the days 

 lengthen, but it should be remembered that to ripen the best 

 sort of grapes they require as great a heat as the pine-apple does 

 to ripen it in summer ; for the vine has no artificial heat to its 

 root. Nicol observes, that forcing must begin slowly by not 

 allowing the heat to pass 50 or 55 mornings and evenings. 

 For if forcing is begun with a dash, as many fast-going gardeners 

 term it, the chance is that the fourth part of the buds will not 

 push ; therefore there will be a great falling ofF in the expected 

 crop. When the whole of the buds are in an evident state of 

 vegetation, the temperature may be gradually raised to 60, 65, 

 and 70, at which it may continue till the bloom begins to open. 

 This rise should not be effected in less time than a fortnight, but 

 three weeks is better. When the plants come into bloom, it 

 should be raised to 75. When the fruit is ripening let it be 

 raised from 75 to 85 with sun heat, and plenty of air. Mearns 

 (Hort. trans. 4. p. 254.) considers it of the utmost importance 

 to the bold breaking of the buds, and to the strength of the wood, 

 not to force vines hard until the first leaves arrive nearly at their 

 full size. After that period, he gives them a much less portion 



of air, suffering the sun to raise the thermometer to 90 or 100 

 before he gives any air. He says there is no danger of draw- 

 ing the wood after that stage of growth, and if the thermometer 

 sinks to 60 at night, the vines will do better in a higher tempera- 

 ture in the day. 



Air. Abercrombie directs to give air pretty freely by the 

 sashes until the leaves unfold. Before the foliage is fully made 

 out, begin to keep the house close, admitting air only at the 

 ventilators, and particularly observe to have a sultry moist cli- 

 mate while the blossom is coming out, and until it is off and 

 the fruit set. While the fruit is swelling and ripening the plants 

 will require abundance of light and air. M'Phail recommends 

 a little air to be given during a part of the day, while the ther- 

 mometer is above 65, and when the sun shines in the winter 

 months, and abundance in the summer season when the heat ex- 

 ceeds 75 or 80. Nicol observes, in beginning to force air 

 should be admitted freely every day until the foliage begins to 

 expand, to the extent that the thermometer may not rise above 

 5 above the fire heat, by opening the sashes in the usual way. 

 But after the foliage begins to expand, except in fine weather, 

 the house should be chiefly aired by ventilators until the blossom 

 is over, and the berries begin to set, or at least until the season 

 becomes mild. When grapes are setting, air need not be ad- 

 mitted so freely as before, grapes being found to set best in a 

 high moist temperature. A moderate circulation by the ventila- 

 tors will be sufficient for this purpose, except when the sun 

 shines strong, when it may be necessary to open a few of the 

 sashes at the top, in order to let the rarified air escape, and to 

 keep the temperature within due bounds. Air is to be increased 

 as the season of the growth of the plants and fruit advance. 

 When the fruit is ripening, it should be admitted more freely 

 than before, in order to give the fruit a flavour, for on this, and 

 the withholding of water, that matter entirely depends. Williams 

 (Hort. trans, vol. 1.) strongly recommends a dry atmosphere 

 for vines, in which, he says, the wood, although of slower 

 growth, is more compact, and the fruit more saccharine. Hence 

 vines growing on the sides of mountains in the province of La 

 Mancha in Spain, yield richer grapes and make stronger wine 

 than when cultivated in the neighbouring valleys, where, how- 

 ever, they experience greater warmth, and the fruit arrives 

 sooner at maturity. Impressed with the importance of ventila- 

 tion, from the beginning of July until the middle of October, he 

 generally leaves several of the upper lights of his vinery open 

 about 2 or 3 inches all night. 



Watering and steaming. Abercrombie says, vines require a 

 plentiful supply of water from the time the fruit is well set till 

 it begins to colour, particularly if the berries become transparent 

 at the last swelling. Withhold water entirely when the grapes 

 approach maturity. M'Phail recommends a plentiful supply of 

 water to those planted inside, and in dry weather to those 

 planted outside ; let the plants be washed occasionally with clean 

 water, with a syringe or engine ; but if there is any chance of 

 the paint being washed down from the rafters, it will answer the 

 purpose fully as well by filling the house full of steam now and 

 then, by throwing water on the flues when they are warm. The 

 border, if in the Inside of the house, should be watered and 

 sprinkled now and then to keep it moist. Let the flues be 

 watered now and then when they are hot, which is very beneficial 

 to the plants, in promoting their growth, and in preventing them 

 from being infested with the red spider. Steam, however, should 

 not be used too copiously. If the vine borders be in the house, 

 or if there are plenty of plants in pots of earth in it, the evapo- 

 ration arising from the moist earth is generally sufficient to 

 moisten the air properly. When the fruit is set, until the time 

 of changing colour, the borders should be plentifully supplied, 

 and the flues sprinkled now and then with clean water. Increase 



