78 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



early or for late crops. Just as the vines, in the case 

 of one-year-old plants, are bursting their buds in a 

 cool place, is the condition, all other things being equal, 

 in which they are ready to make a vigorous start. 

 The exact time when this takes place depends con- 

 siderably on the time they ripened and shed their 

 foliage in autumn. When kept in a cool airy place, 

 they are at this stage, in ordinary seasons, about the 

 end of March or beginning of April, which is a good 

 time to plant. When intended for early forcing, I 

 recommend their being planted about the middle of 

 February, when, in the case of early varieties, they can 

 be easily excited into growth by fire-heat. It is an 

 established fact, that being started early one season, 

 they are the more susceptible of early excitement the 

 next ; and consequently they can be brought sooner 

 into an early forcing condition when planted and 

 started somewhat early. Late varieties intended for 

 late grapes should, on the other hand, be planted just 

 as they begin to burst their buds in a cool place, which 

 is generally in April. 



For a vigorous start and growth, April and May are 

 the best months to start young and newly-planted vines. 

 Except in the case of those required for early forcing, it 

 is best to wait for long days, bright sun, and the natural 

 impulse of the plant, before applying much fire-heat. 



In the case of vines struck from eyes the same 

 spring, the end of May is a good time, just as the 

 plants have attained to about 2 feet in height, and 

 their roots have been prepared according to the Tweed 

 Vineyard practice. I have, however, planted them at 

 various times from May to July with very similar suc- 

 cess. In one case where I had to ripen a crop of grapes, 

 in the same house I planted vines about 4 feet high at 



