63 



better calculated to produce and ripen fruit under the 

 cold atmosphere to which it is afterwards exposed. 

 If the house be kept too cool at the beginning, the 

 wood will be soft and long jointed, and therefore sub- 

 sequently barren. Those who attempt to grow late 

 grapes must pay serious attention to this circum- 

 stance : the failures of many may be attributed to 

 the neglect of it. {Trans. Hort. Soc. vii.) 



Forcing. — Mr. Beaton, gardener to Sir "W. Middle- 

 ton, at Shrubland Park, near Ipswich ; Mr. G. Flem- 

 ing, gardener at Trentham Hall, and some other first 

 authorities in horticulture, are of opinion that Sep- 

 tember is a better time to begin to force vines than 

 any time between that and the middle of December, 

 as the fruit is set before the middle of November, 

 and has more assistance from the sun than it would 

 have in January, at which time it would be setting if 

 started in November, the usual time for beginning to 

 force for an early crop of grapes. {Gard. Chron. 

 1845, 115.) Notwithstanding these reasons and 

 authorities, the majority of gardeners do not begin 

 forcing until the end of October, or early in Novem- 

 ber, considering that to begin earlier does not allow 

 the vines a sufficient period of rest. 



Mr. Appleby, already quoted, says that in places 

 where there are a number of houses devoted to the 

 vine, it is possible to have ripe grapes all the year f 

 round. To accomplish this completely, six houses^ 



