1262 



FORCING 



FORCING 



the border. Assuming it to be a span-roof house, lay 

 a drain down the center, allowing enough fall to carry 

 off the water. Use 3-inch pipes and provide openings 

 along every 20 feet or so to take away the water. After 

 the drain is complete, a coat of rough concrete may be 

 placed over the bottom, which will prevent any of the 

 vine roots from penetrating into the subsoil. Over this 

 add a foot or 18 inches of drainage, such as broken stone 

 or brickbats, anything that will insure a free passage 

 for water. From the drainage to the surface level, there 

 should be about 2^ feet or a trifle over for soil. In 

 some localities it is difficult to secure a grade of soil 

 best adapted for vine-growth, although grape-vines 

 will thrive in different kinds of soil, if not too sandy or 

 too clayey. A good loamy soil is best, virgin loam pre- 

 ferred; or loam that has been in pasture three or four 

 years may be plowed and placed directly into the bor- 

 der. The grass fibers are of great benefit. The vines 

 would make a very satisfactory growth for a year or 

 so without any fertilizing ingredients added. However, 

 this would not be a wise policy and fertilizers of a last- 

 ing quality should be used. On that 

 account, farmyard manure should 

 not be used. All fruits require 

 potash, phosphoric acid and nitro- 

 gen and therefore these manures 

 should be applied. Do not apply 

 the fertilizers too heavily. It is a 

 simple matter when the vines be- 

 come thoroughly established to feed 

 from the surface. Bone is one of 

 the very best ingredients to place 

 in the grape border. This may be 

 used in a coarse state or that known 

 as J^-inch bone at the rate of 

 forty or fifty parts of solid to one 

 of bone. Potash may be used in 

 the shape of hardwood unleached 

 ashes, a trifle less in quantity than 

 that recommended for the bone. 

 Toward the surface, a quicker-acting 

 complete fruit - fertilizer may be 

 used. Such a border should grow 

 and produce grapes for many years. 

 A span-roof house running north 

 and south is recommended, as a cer- 

 tain amount of sunlight will be had 

 on both sides, whereas in a house 

 running east and west, very little 

 sun will strike on the north side. 

 Either curvilinear or straight span answers the purpose 

 for a private establishment. 



Planting vines. 



Vines may be planted either in fall or early spring. 

 Early fall-planted stock appears to come away more 

 freely and break stronger than spring planting. Plant 

 the canes about 4 feet apart; there is nothing gained 

 by too close planting. It is immaterial whether one-year- 

 old plants are selected or two-year-old, providing they 

 are thrifty strong canes. They should be shortened 

 back to 2 feet to insure strong growths from the 

 remaining buds, since, if a much longer length of cane 

 is left, they will break away unevenly and weakly. 

 Before planting, all the soil from a ball should be 

 removed and the roots straightened out. Spread the 

 roots out evenly on the border, cover with about 3 

 inches of soil and firm the soil well around them. 



General treatment for forcing. 



Grape-vines respond to the forcing treatment readily, 

 although a newly planted grape-house should be 

 brought along with little or no forcing the first season. 

 There would be no advantage in forcing them, as they 

 should not be allowed to produce fruit until the second 

 year, when they will be thoroughly established. How- 



1551. Pot-grown pear 

 tree in bloom. 



ever, assuming that the vines are established and grapes 

 are needed from the first to the tenth of May, the house 

 must be started by the middle of December with a 

 temperature of 45 to 50 at night, with a rise of 10 

 to 15 by day, according to weather conditions, and 

 gradually increasing so that when the grapes are in 

 bloom the temperature will be 65 at night and 75 

 to 80 by day. If a supply of grapes is demanded up to 

 Christmas or the New Year, three compartments must 

 be accommodated, the midseason house being started 

 two months later and the late house about the first of 

 April. A very important point to be considered is to 

 give the border a thorough watering, for while the 

 vines are at rest they are kept fairly dry. Ventilation 

 or airing is very important, for unless this is attended 

 to carefully serious trouble will follow, such as mildew, 

 red-spider and the like. The heat should be allowed to 

 rise gradually until the maximum is reached in the 

 morning, then kept as steady as possible and toward 

 evening gradually lowered to night temperature. 



The best method of growing vines under glass is the 

 single-rod spur system. The spurs should be 15 or 18 

 inches apart on each side of the rod. Then disbud to 

 one shoot for each spur. As the young growth advances, 

 it must be trained in place by degrees, as the young 

 shoots are very brittle and if brought down too quickly 

 are liable to snap off. The next step is pinching the 

 shoots. The aim is to allow enough growth to cover 

 the trellis with foliage but to avoid crowding. A fairly 

 safe method is to stop the shoot at the second or third 

 leaf beyond the bunch, also pinch all lateral growths 

 at the first leaf. 



Probably one of the most anxious times with the 

 man in charge is while the vines are in bloom or setting 

 their fruit. Certain varieties will set their fruit much 

 more freely than others. The Muscat family, as a rule, 

 is a bit backward in that respect. A safe method to 

 follow is a steady temperature with a fairly dry bracing 

 atmosphere so that the pollen can distribute itself 

 freely. By gently tapping the bunches around mid- 

 day, they should set freely. When the berries are about 

 the size of garden peas, they are in condition for thin- 

 ning. This is a tedious operation, requiring time and 

 Eatience. The bunch must never be handled with the 

 ngers. Either a stick with a fork or a straight stick 

 to lift the shoulders of the bunch while thinning should 

 be used. The aim is to cut away enough surplus ber- 

 ries to allow the remainder to swell to full size, so that 

 when full grown and ready to cut the bunch will keep 

 the same perfect shape when set on the dinner-table. 



Grape-vines, when in a healthy, vigorous condition, 

 are rank feeders. There is no better time to apply food 

 than just after the grapes are thinned and again as 

 they take on their second swelling after the stoning 

 period. This may be applied in the shape of liquid 

 manure water or a complete chemical fertilizer. The 

 grower must use his own judgment in regard to quan- 

 tity, as so much depends on conditions. A healthy vine 

 can withstand more food than one less robust. Never- 

 theless, it is much better to feed lightly than too 

 heavily. 



A moist humid atmosphere is necessary for grapes 

 while they are growing or from the time they are 

 started into growth until they begin to color, from which 

 time a drier bracing air will be of advantage. At this 

 stage, bottom air may be admitted by degrees during 

 the day, and later, or when ripe, keep bottom air on 

 day and night. 



Pruning. 



There are two objects in pruning: first, to keep the 

 vines in submission and second, to encourage vigor. 

 For the first season after planting, it would be well to 

 allow the vines to grow freely with very little stopping 

 of shoots. This encourages root-action and if every- 

 thing has progressed satisfactorily, the canes will 



