HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



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tops and roots, that we practice it even with the 

 hardy varieties out of doors, with the very best 

 results, having found, by actual experiment, that 

 when covered up they are less subject to mildew. 

 All plants of a half-hardy character may be kept 

 in the cold Grapery, such as Roses, Pomegranates, 

 Oranges, Crape Myrtles, Pampas Grass, Tri- 

 tomas, Carnations, etc., care being taken that 

 the pots or tubs in which they are planted are 

 plunged in leaves, tan, or some such substance, 

 KO that the roots do not freeze. The Cola Grapery 

 makes an excellent poultry-house in winter, 

 only, if put to that use, care must be taken that 

 the buried Vines are secure against the scratch- 

 ing of the hens. 



In the construction of the Grapery for forcing 

 by artificial heat, the best plan is the "lean-to" 

 style, previously described. This should face 

 the south, or southeast, so that it will be able to 

 get all the sunlight possible in the winter and 

 spring months, for forcing is often begun in 

 December and January, so as to have the fruit 

 ripe in April and May. A skillful grower will 

 usually ripen his crops in four months or a lit- 

 tle more, but not all kinds alike, as some natu- ! 

 rally ripen earlier than others with precisely the 1 

 same treatment. In forcing Grapes, it is essen- | 

 tial to have the border outside covered up with | 

 leaves or manure of sufficient depth to prevent 

 the frost getting to the roots; as, if heat is ap- 

 plied inside to the Vines while the roots are 

 frozen, it will injure them seriously. When 

 Vines are started to force very early, say Janu- 

 ary 1st, sufficient covering of manure and 

 leaves should be placed on the border to raise 

 the temperature of the soil to at least 60, if the 

 best results are to be obtained. If started five | 

 or six weeks later, so much covering would not | 

 be necessary. No matter at what season the 

 Grapery is started, the temperature to begin 

 with, say for the first three weeks, should not 

 exceed fifty degrees at night, with the usual day 

 temperature of 10 to 15 higher, increasing 

 gradually until the buds begin to be developed, 

 which will be from five to six weeks, to a tem- 

 perature of 65 degrees at night, with 15 

 higher in the daytime. In another four or five 

 weeks the fruit will be set, when the tempera- 

 ture may run from 70 to 75 at night, with the 

 10 to 15 higher during the day. When the 

 berries are about the size of small pease, it is in- 

 dispensable to thin nearly half of them out with 

 the Grape scissors, else they will not attain half 

 their size, and the bunches will be so compact 

 that it will be impossible to detach the berries 

 without mashing them. Inexperienced Grape- 

 growers almost invariably err in leaving the 

 berries too thick on the bunch, and often, also, 

 too many bunches on the Vines, which not only 

 results in the fruit being inferior in quality, but 

 no more weight even is obtained. In regard to 

 kinds to plant, we should here, as in the Cold 

 Grapery choose a large proportion of the Black 

 Hamburgh, next the Muscat of Alexandria, Mad- 

 dresfield Court Muscat, and then Trentham 

 Black, Muscat Hamburgh, Lady Downe for 

 late, Chasselas de Fontainebleau for early, 

 Grizzly Frontignan, Alicante, Black Damascus, 

 and similar good kinds. For market, Black 

 Hamburgh and Muscat of Alexandria are found 

 to be the most profitable. 



If proper attention has been given in forcing the 

 Grapery to the right degrees of temperature and 

 moisture, there should be no mildew; but as a 

 preventive in case of accidents, it is safest, as 



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soon as firing begins, to paint the hot-water 

 pipes with a mixture of lime and sulphur. The 

 pipes, when heated, evaporate the sulphur fumes, 

 which are certain to destroy the germs of mil- 

 dew. Accidents often occur by leaving the 

 water in the pipes in the Graperies at the sea- 

 son they are resting and exposed to frost, which 

 is often severe enough to freeze the water, which, 

 expanding, bursts the pipes. It is always safest 

 not to wait until fall to empty them, but to do 

 so as soon as firing is stopped in the spring and 

 summer. It is often customary, after pruning 

 the Vines, to peel the loose bark from the canes 

 and wash them with a mixture of sulphur and 

 lime, to destroy insects; but there is no neces- 

 sity for this, in our opinion, if the practice of 

 burying up the stems in the soil is resorted 

 to, as described in our instructions for the Cold 

 Grapery. We have resorted to this practice for 

 many years, and though we have never either 

 peeled off the rough bark or washed them, we 

 have never been troubled with insects of any 

 kind. 



Having briefly presented an outline of the 

 methods pursued in the cultivation of the for- 

 eign Grape under glass, we propose to treat the 

 hardy native Grape in the same brief manner. 

 The vineyard culture of the native Grape has 

 made rapid strides within the past fifteen years, 

 and is fast assuming a chief place among the 

 industrial interests of the country, not alone 

 for food, but for wine. Just now the subject of 

 wine has a peculiar significance for the Ameri- 

 can vineyardist. The Phylloxera having de- 

 others, some of the most noted vineyards in Eu- 

 rope, especially in France, real wine has be- 

 come rare, except in some old cellars, where it 

 has been stored for years. To keep up the 

 supply resort has been had to factitious wines 

 of all descriptions, and adulterations of a very 

 hurtful nature have been practiced to such an 

 extent that the French government has lately 

 interfered to prevent it as far as possible. If 

 the American vineyardist shall now step forward 

 and supply the home market withpwre high class 

 wines, he will not only be able to retain it, but 

 also find a foreign market for all not wanted at 

 home. The Grape should be regarded as an ar- 

 ticle of food rather than a luxury, and it is be- 

 coming more and more regarded in that light; 

 and there need be no fear, with our rapidly in- 

 creasing population, that the demand will not 

 always be in advance of the supply. That many 

 portions of the country are suited to the success- 

 ful culture of the Grape, is abundantly shown 

 by the vineyards already established; in fact, 

 there are but few States in the Union where 

 some one variety of the Grape may not be profit- 

 ably grown, and even unfavorable localities may 

 often be made to yield a supply for the family, 

 by affording a little protection above ground and 

 proper drainage beneath. For the vineyard, 

 however, the selection of a proper locjition is a 

 matter of the first importance. The soil should 

 be naturally dry, or, if not, it should be made so 

 by artificial means, such as underdraining. It 

 is nothing to the purpose to say that Vines are 

 sometimes found growing wild in moist places, 

 unless you are content to eat Wild Grapes with 

 all their wild flavor and indigestible pulp. Fla- 

 vor and tenderness are promoted by a well- 

 drained soil as well as by culture. In addition, 

 the grade should be such that no water can re- 

 main on the sxirface at any time of the year. Low 



