THE FRUITING YEAR. 37 



was only visible for about three hours, with rain nearly 

 every day. I kept the fire-heat 75 by night and 85 

 by day, and every bunch in the house set like Ham- 

 burgs. No moisture was given, while they were in 

 bloom, in any form ; and at that stage, if a bunch 

 received a shake in any way, a complete cloud of pollen 

 flew from it. This is the whole secret of setting Mus- 

 cats. When they are set, however, I let them fall back 

 to 70 at night, and give a steady but not excessive 

 moisture to the air, letting them rise with air on to 90 

 during the day with sun-heat. I make it a rule, except 

 during severe frost, to keep the back ventilators open an 

 inch, and the front ones half an inch, during the night. 

 This gives a supply of fresh air, and keeps the foliage 

 healthy and of good substance, and more able to resist 

 the scorching effects of the sun when it makes its ap- 

 pearance. On the other hand, a thin, almost trans- 

 parent foliage, grown in a close, over-moist atmosphere, 

 though it may have expanded to a large size, gets brown 

 and destroyed by a few days of bright sunshine in 

 May. 



With regard to watering the inside border I have as 

 yet said nothing, and will now remark that, if the 

 bottom drainage is good, it may get a thorough soak- 

 ing of soft tepid water when the vines are started, 

 another after the grapes are set, a third when they are 

 taking their second swelling, and a fourth when they 

 begin to colour ; the three latter may be liquid manure. 

 These should be no surface waterings, but thorough 

 drenchings ; and if the season is very dry, like that of 

 1864, the borders inside and out should be mulched 

 with rotten dung. In no case tread on the border when 



