CHAPTER IX. 

 THE RETARDING^ HOUSE. 



THE object of the Retarding House is the reverse of 

 the Early Grapery. In the latter we wish to forward as 

 much as possible the ripening of the fruit, while in the 

 former, the intention is to retard it so far as can be done. 

 It is therefore evident that the two features require very 

 different management ; in fact, in one, the process really 

 and truly speaking, if judiciously applied, gives to the 

 vine the requirement of its own or original constitution, 

 by the assistance of artificial heat at the time when the 

 plant is best able to be benefited by it, while the other 

 has the same applied, only to keep out the frost at mid- 

 winter, and to create a dry atmosphere when the fruit is 

 hanging ripe, for the purpose of preserving it. 



From what has been previously explained, it will be 

 readily seen that some difficulty must occur, when we are 

 trying to carry out in cultivation anything that is opposed 

 to nature, or attempting to thwart her established vitality ; 

 such becomes true here, for, our intention is to stay as 

 much as possible that free and brisk action which alone 

 will ensure the best results, notwithstanding which, as we 

 have an object in view, and the demands of luxury must 

 be supplied, our skill is brought into requisition, and to a 

 certain extent the difficulty is overcome. 



The general routine, in this case, will be the endeavor 

 to keep back the precocity of the fruit by all consistent means 

 one of which is to avoid the very earliest varieties ; an- 



