DISBUDDING, PINCHING SHOOTS. SETTING THE FRUIT --,7 



good bracing atmospliere, for tlie pollen cannot dry properly in a close, humid 

 air. A little air should therefore be admitted e\en on dark, cloudy days. This 

 can be regulated according to the weather. If it is cold outside, a little extra 

 heat will counterbalance the crack of air. 



The pollen should be in condition around ele\en or twcKe o'clock, noon, 

 so that a gentle tap of the bunch will send it Hying in all directions. If the 

 bunch is tapped gently with the fingers around mid-day and no pollen distrib- 

 utes itself, this ma\ not affect results materially for that day, but if it occurs 

 two or three days in succession then look out for seedless berries. This applies 

 particularly to the Muscats. 



White Muscats are the finest of all the hothouse Grapes. They require 

 close attention during the season of setting their fruit. The best and most 

 successful way to manage is to see that the pollen gets dry, then each day, or 

 while they are in bloom, go over each bunch about mid-day, separate and gi\e 

 a gentle tap with the fingers. I prefer this treatment to that of a camel's hair 

 brush, for the Grape vine flower is so delicate that through its use one is apt 

 to damage the stigmas or pistil. If a little air is used on the house, with extra 

 heat in the pipes, if necessary, a good, substantial set may be obtained under 

 this treatment, and the seedless berries will be brought down to the minimum. 

 With very free setting varieties, such as Black Hamburg, a gentle shake of the 

 rod is sufficient. Most of the %arieties will set admirably in a temperature of 

 65° by night and 75° by day, but Muscats do better with five degrees higher. 



When the weather is clear and the pollen has been distributed, the border 

 may be slightly dampened so that it will dry up before night. I have followed 

 these methods now for many years with good success. It has been the custom 

 with many fruit growers after the fruit is all set and has begun to swell away 

 to spray the foliage again, both morning and evening, on every clear day until 

 the fruit begins to color. This is not at all necessary, and may disfigure the 

 berries more or less; when there is lime or iron in the water, as is often likel\- 

 to be the case, the disfigurement ma\' be serious. 



RED SPIDER 



There should be very little danger of red spider if the house has recei\ed 

 the proper care as to damping down and the keeping up of a fairly steady tem- 

 perature, but if the crop receives a check through too much or insufficient heat 

 we are preparing the way for an attack of red spider and other diseases. In 

 growing Grapes under glass we cannot control the sun any more than when 

 Nature takes care of them, but we can anticipate, to a certain extent, the factors 

 making for desirable growth, as to correct temperature, moisture, etc., and if 

 we supply these as needed, we may well feel assured of satisfactory results. 



