62 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



one foot ; it Avill cause the lower buds to break more boldly : 

 lower the lead as you see occasion. I generally let the vines 

 remain in that position until all the side shoots are stopped, 

 out of bloom, and want thinning, especially the first house, 

 as, by that time, there is no danger to be apprehended from 

 the frost. Up to the time the grapes are commencmg to 

 bloom, keep up a very humid temperature by day, gradually 

 raising the night temperature to 65° or 68° at the time of 

 blooming, raising the day temperature in proportion. I al- 

 ways keep the house humid and close from the time the buds 

 have sprung two or three inches until they are changing 

 color ; (when in bloom they will require to be kept dryer.) 

 I never give air, after the shoots are stopped, up to the fruit 

 changing color, till the thermometer attains 80°, and this 

 being a humid and cold climate, in dull weather I have the 

 boilers worked in the fore part of the day, letting them cool 

 down in the afternoon, so that I use little or no fire in the 

 night ; but, as I said before, give heat with light, and allow 

 the house to get cool with darkness, the very reverse of the 

 old practice in forcing the vine. 



" As your fruit proceeds in swelling, keep the night tem- 

 perature to the point as stated for blooming, until the berries 

 are stoned ; you may then rise a few degrees, but at no period 

 do I exceed 70° in the night. They will now swell apace ; 

 take ofi" all laterals, keeping the house very humid ; you may 

 allow the temperature to rise, by sun heat, to 90°, 95°, or 

 100°, or even higher, so that you keep a very moist atmos- 

 phere. Examine your border when the fruit is stoned ; if 

 the heat has greatly declined, add more fermenting material, 

 for upon this, in an equal degree as on the temperature of 

 the house, depends the success of noble swelled fruit. Your 

 vines, if any are planted on the back wall, or otherwise inside 

 the house, must have every attention paid them as to moisture 

 at the root, summer pruning, and, in other respects, be treated 

 as the roof vines. When the foliage is fully expanded and 

 the fruit is swelling, they will require water at the root twice 



