90 FRUIT GARDEN. 



branches, by strands of fresh matting. If they appear 

 crowded before they begin to color, some berries may still 

 be clipped off, but care must be observed not to touch 

 them after coloring, for fear of rubbing off some of the 

 bloom which constitutes so much of their beauty. 



Any person having a green-house for the protection of 

 tender plants and exotics, can, with little or no additional 

 expense, manage to make it secure him every year a crop of 

 the finest kinds of foreign grapes. The vines may be planted 

 outside near the front wall, in the lower part of which open- 

 ings are to be left in the brick or wood-work, to permit the 

 vines to be passed or drawn out. As soon as the weather will 

 admit the plants to be exposed to the open air, the vines may 

 be passed into the house and attached to the rafters or 

 other supports, where they are to be trained and treated 

 according to the rules laid down for their management. 

 In the fall, the ripe grapes may be taken off, the vines 

 trimmed, withdrawn from the house, and properly bound 

 up and secured against the frosts of winter. Meantime, 

 the hot-house plants are enjoying their appropriate places 

 of protection. 



Much useful information relating to the proper manage- 

 ment of vines in graperies will be found under the head of 

 Pruning and Training, when describing the operations 

 of the forcing garden. 



The FIG-TREE (Ficus Carica) is not a great favorite in 

 Britain, the fresh fruit not being much relished, and the 

 tables being supplied with a vast abundance of dried figs 

 imported from the Mediterranean countries. Every good 

 garden ought, however, to contain a few trees, to furnish 

 an occasional dish ; and we doubt not that the fresh fruit, 

 if it were more common and better grown, would be more 



