CULTURE OF THE FOKEFGN GRAPE. 65 



Charles M. Hovey expressed his dissent from Mr. Rand's views 

 of the cause of winter killing, and said he would not like to have it 

 go out from this Societj^ that vines were killed by dead air. He 

 asked whether the houses mentioned by Mr. Watt were treated the 

 same in 1867 as in 1868, and if they were, why the vines were 

 not killed in 1867 as well as in 1868. 



Mr. Watt replied that the houses received the same treatment in 

 both years. 



C. M. Hove^^ said the vines were not killed by cold but by heat. 

 Long continued sunny weather, when the house was closed, started 

 the vines, Jiquifj-ing the starch and sugar stored up in the wood ; 

 then very cold weather set in again, and two or three such changes 

 killed the vines. It is well known that pelargoniums and many 

 other tender plants will stand a single frost without much injury", 

 but repeated two or three times it will certainly destroy them. Mr. 

 Luke, a neighbor of his, who has a small grapery, always lowers 

 two or three of the sashes of his vinery after pruning and laying 

 down in autumn, and leaves them open all Avinter, keeping the 

 house at a cool and even temperature, and he alwaj^s has good 

 grapes, as many can testify who have seen them exhibited on our 

 tables. We have made no improvement, so far as good culture 

 goes, in ventilation, over the old sliding sashes used in Speechly's 

 time. 



Eliphalet Stone said that the point we wish to ascertain is the 

 cause of the loss of so manj' vines. Many of the houses men- 

 tioned by Mr. Watt were known to him. Mr. Hovey was right 

 when he said that it was not heat or cold that injured vines, but 

 the changes, and Mr. Strong was right in leaving his houses open. 

 A cold grapery needs ventilation in winter as well as in summer. 

 We trim our vines in autumn and lay them down to protect them 

 from heat. Herbaceous plants out doors are destroyed by the heat 

 of the sun in winter. Glass gives a tremendous heat in winter ; 

 four weeks ago a closed grapery would have been up to 125°. 

 These vines are almost human, with every bud having a distinct 

 individuality, and the heat of the sun sets the buds and the fertili- 

 zers at work. The tree is made up of cells filled with water and 

 air ; heating expands the cells and the vines are split. The re- 

 action from heat to cold is the cause of the whole trouble. If you 

 will ventilate your house in winter 3'our vines will be safe. 



Benjamin G. Smith said he had a duplicate of Mr. Luke's 



