88 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



doing this is to get perfect drainage, a porous soil and, above all, lirm potting, 

 all these being important factors in the welfare of pot vines. Have the potting 

 soil of the same temperature as the soil in which they are growing. While 

 this operation may seem troublesome, still it is best for the plant. After the 

 vines have received their last shift, which will be some time in June, when the 

 roots have worked through fairly well, surface dressing can be applied either 

 in the way of top dressing or liquid manure, or both, for a good, rich soil and 

 systematic feeding are required if the Grape vine is to reach the highest type 

 of perfection. And an inferior Grape is not worth striving for in pot culture. 



Watering plays a very important part in the success or failure of Grape 

 culture; but this should not be done in a haphazard way. When in full g'rowth 

 and vigor the vines require a liberal supply of water at their roots at all times. 

 The young roots being soft and full of sap, any drying process during their growth 

 is apt to cause a serious check. 



As regards feeding, the fruiting canes will naturally take more food to 

 good advantage than the young canes, as will be explained later. The young 

 vines may be sprayed two or three times a day when the weather is favorable. 

 They like a moist, humid atmosphere during their growing season. 



Vine eyes should be rooted and started along with bottom heat of about 

 75°, with atmospheric temperature of about 70 , or 75 with sun heat. As 

 the season advances, the temperature can be increased. With out hot sun, 

 bottom heat can be dispensed with in the late Sprmg. The young vines will 

 make rapid headway without its assistance, in a temperature of 70 by night 

 and 80° by day. Keep the house chaiged with moisture until the canes com- 

 mence to ripen up, and then graduallv admit more aii, with less moisture to the 

 roots and atmosphere. 



Different methods are used for training the vine for fruiting. Probably 

 the one most in vogue is to coil the cane around stakes, four or five feet high, 

 driven into the soil, three or four around the side of the pot; or the cane may be 

 trained to one center stake to a height of 3 or 4 ft. with a trellis on top similar 

 to that used for training a standard Chrysanthemum. Such training makes 

 a neat appearance, and the bunches are formed where they can receive more 

 light and air than if trained in a coil. In preparing the young canes for fruiting, 

 they may be grown in a light house, with one stake to each vine, setting them far 

 enough apart to allow the sun and air to get around them. Do not crowd them 

 in any way, but secure the young vines to the stake as they grow. A still bettei 

 location is a small span roof house. Here train the young vines up a trellis, 

 i5 or 18 inches from the glass on each side, in such a position that the buds will 

 ripen to perfection. The lead should not be stopped until grown to the desired 

 length, which will be from eight to ten feet, according to the strength of the 

 cane. As the laterals make their appearance, they may be stopped, as recom- 

 mended for permanent vines. The wood must be thoroughly ripened, for even 

 if the canes are strong, they will be of no use if they are soft and pithy. I would 

 rather have small canes than strong ones which have not gone through the 

 ripening process. Properly ripened canes should present no difficulty if they 

 have been grown through the Summer months in the full sun. When they are 



