MANAGEMENT FOR THE SECOND YEAR. 75 



what is useful ; but as this outer and loose bark is virtu- 

 ally dead, it is of no further use than protection against 

 cold ; so that if the vines are carefully covered from ex- 

 treme frost, there is no harm in taking it off. 



The vines may now be washed over with the prepara- 

 tion, as advised for last year, and brought down into the 

 same horizontal position ; and as it is not easy to cover the 

 spurs, if wrapped around with straw, the better way is 

 to have long, narrow boxes, open at the ends, or to 

 cover loosely with marsh hay, or evergreen boughs. Let 

 the house remain open through the winter, excepting in 

 stormy, wet, or very severe frosty weather, and shut up 

 the doors at night, to prevent rats or mice from getting in, 

 as they will gnaw the bark, and do much mischief. It is 

 a good plan to keep a cat inside. 



A week or two previous to the leaves falling, fork over 

 the borders carefully, both outside and inside ; by doing 

 it at this time, any small rootlets which may be unavoid- 

 ably broken will have time to heal up before winter sets 

 in. When severe weather is apprehended, cover over the 

 whole surface with three or four inches of good stable ma- 

 nure, and add an additional layer of litter or leaves of about 

 the same depth to prevent the frost from entering, and make 

 " assurance doubly sure." 



As the general routine of this season's practice will ap- 

 ply to all others, so far as the Cold Grapery is concerned, 

 it is useless to follow this part of the subject further, than 

 by stating (as we are treating of a set of vines in the first 

 bearing), that the average crop may be doubled next year, 

 according to robustness and health, which will admit of 

 ten to fourteen pounds of grapes being taken off each, pro- 

 viding all are healthy. It is well to observe the progress 

 of any which do not keep pace with the rest, and where 

 there is a want of vigor, to ease accordingly, by not allow- 



