72 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



spring ; tlie border, under this, is covered with six or eight 

 inches of coarse litter and leaves in autumn, and, on the out- 

 side, with the same materials, so as, in all, to cover about 

 twenty feet. This answers the purpose very well, but in no 

 way better than the plan alluded to above. 



On this border and under this glass covering I tried this 

 system of hot manure in 1843. The only advantage I de- 

 rived from it was the ripening of the fruit a few days earlier 

 than usual. But the steam from the manure, when freshly 

 made up, forced itself through the front of the house, by the 

 sides of the sashes, &c., and destroyed the foliage of the 

 "\dnes, where it came immediately in contact with them. It 

 is true that this would not have happened had the border not 

 have been covered. But the cost was more than the value of 

 the crop, and the system has not been tried since for the pur- 

 pose of forcing. 



In the summer of 1843, I built a grapery. The border 

 was made according to the plan given by me in the first part 

 of this work. It was not begun tUl August, and the vines 

 were planted the last of that month, and a few of them in 

 September. They were of different ages, some only two and 

 three months from the eye, and others one and two years old ; 

 they all came into fruit at the same time, and I never have 

 been able to notice any difference in their growth, or in their 

 produce, since the first year. As these vines were planted 

 at so late a period, I was fearful that they might not become 

 sufficiently estabhshed in their new situation to survive the 

 winter. To induce a rapid and promote a late growth, this 

 method of heat upon the border was resorted to, and with 

 the desired effect generally. Owing to the situation of the 

 grapery, which is on a gentle slope, a few of the vines at the 

 bottom of this were killed by the too powerful juices of the 

 manure, which, after a heavy rain, soaked down to them. A 

 second and third set were planted and killed also, and it was 

 only by removing the manure that I was able to make vines 

 grow there. 



