THE RETARDING HOUSE. 99 



other, securing the right aspect of the house, which is fully 

 explained, page 37. It is also essentially requisite to give 

 free ventilation, both day and night, excepting in severe 

 weather, during the whole of the spring months, by which 

 a cool temperature may be maintained, and the early flow 

 of the sap prevented. When it is seen that the buds can 

 be no longer kept from bursting, the house may be closed, 

 but as it is not advisable to raise so high a temperature in 

 this, as in the other successions, there ought not to be so 

 much water applied, because, if it be too liberally supplied 

 in this counteraction of the natural energy, there would 

 be too much moisture absorbed from the atmosphere by 

 the leaves, and from the soil by the roots ; the consequence 

 of which would be too great a preponderance of fluid 

 matter, without an equivalent amount of carbonized and 

 solid material, and hence, a plethoric state of the whole 

 structure a liability to disease want of fertility in the 

 blossoms a bad set of inferior berries and consequently, 

 poor quality of badly flavored fruit. Water may, how- 

 ever, be administered with discretion. According as the 

 growth progresses, as it is more or less active, or the 

 weather is wet and cold, or dry and hot, so let the water 

 be given or withheld. When the leaves are fully develop- 

 ed, the shoots stopped, and the blossoms expanded, syring- 

 ing may be entirely discontinued, excepting occasionally on 

 bright mornings, for, unless due caution be exercised 

 during the remainder of the growing season, there is danger 

 of mildew. This troublesome guest is more likely to 

 attack the Retarding House than any other, and conse- 

 quently, greater vigilance is necessary. It is most gener- 

 ally to be apprehended while the fruit is swelling, and 

 before the carbonaceous matter has become so far concen- 

 trated as to be relieved from the greater overplus of 

 acidity; and as the secretions of the plants in this house 



