356 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



For the upper sashes, nail the cleats so as to bring the up- 

 per surface of the sash frames flush with the upper edge of the 

 rafters, while the lower end of each rests upon the back rail of 

 the lower sash, fitting closely, but so that it will slide over it 

 when it is desired to open the upper part of the house. These 

 sashes may be about six feet long, or the house may be made 

 sixteen feet wide, requiring rafters about nineteen, and sashes 

 seven feet or more long, and the small remaining portion of 

 the roof may be shingled or tightly boarded over, packing it as 

 the other boarded parts, if it is convenient. The frames of 

 such sashes, made of inch and a- half or two-inch stuff, will 

 cost, without glass or painting, about one dollar each, and each 

 sash will hold from fifteen to eighteen feet of glass, which any 

 boy may put in. If you have no protection from bank wall or 

 building, you may, if convenient, add a small narrow shed along 

 the back, as shown in the figure. 



Having your grape-house thus prepared, plant a vine under 

 each rafter ten or twelve inches inside the front, and another, 

 if you choose, immediately opposite, near the back. 



By either the spur or alternating system of pruning, as de- 

 scribed for out-door culture, you gradually lead them up and 

 along just below the rafters until they meet. They require 

 careful summer pruning. Nip each bearing cane within two 

 or three buds of the fruit, and the small side shoots of the new 

 non-bearing canes uniformly to within one bud distance from 

 the cane, and repeat this nipping upon any second growth that 

 may occur. See page 353. They also need frequent water- 

 ings, at least once a week, extending over the whole border, for 

 which soap-suds may be used. In bright weather, except while 

 blossoming, they should be syringed with tepid water three or 

 four times a week until the grapes are full grown, when water- 

 ing and syringing should gradually cease. 



If the fruit is likely to crowd on the bunches, and there be 

 a fancy for peculiarly handsome bunches and fine berries, the 

 smaller berries may be thinned out with the grape scissors. 

 See Fig. 92 e, page 209. With this view, also, the number 

 of blossom bunches left at first may be specially limited. By 

 these combined means, under favorable circumstances, the fruit 



