CALENDAR. 283 



Vines. Where the earliest crop of grapes is the produce 

 of vines in pots, they will in many cases be ripe this month ; 

 and will not especially if the pots are plunged require so 

 much water, as neither the fruit nor matured foliage can 

 make use of so much. They require just sufficient to keep 

 the fruit " plump " and the foliage healthy a superabun- 

 dance will give watery grapes. Keep the house cooler and 

 drier than when they were being forced on ; and while cold 

 currents of air must still be avoided, a little air must be left 

 on all night, in amount sufficient to prevent moisture con- 

 densing on the fruit. Crops that have arrived at the colour- 

 ing point should have a decreasing supply of moisture in the 

 air, and an increasing amount of air as the colouring and 

 ripening processes go on. It often occurs that red-spider 

 appears on early-forced vines just at the time of colouring, 

 and this pest must be sharply watched and vigorously put 

 down. Succession-houses that have been thinned, and in 

 various stages between that and colouring, may now be 

 pushed on with much less fire-heat than in the dull short 

 days of very early spring, and may therefore be kept some- 

 what warmer : 70 during mild weather, and 65 when very 

 cold at night, should be aimed at in the case of Hamburgs 

 and vineries with a mixed assortment of vines. Look over 

 the vines twice a-week, and remove all lateral growths as 

 soon as they -appear. Thin the bunches and berries in suc- 

 cession-houses. Muscats coming into bloom may have the 

 heat raised to 75 during mild weather at night until fairly 

 set. Where the borders of late houses have been kept dry 

 inside, let them have a good soaking of tepid water, the 

 surface being first stirred up and left somewhat rough, or 

 water will not penetrate freely nor regularly. See that 

 newly-planted vines do not suffer for want of water, and rub 

 off superfluous buds as they break. 



Peaches and Nectarines. Crops that have passed the 

 stoning stage may be forced on more freely, and the night 



