THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 89 



two gallons of water each at night, and repeat this two or 

 three times a week while the drought continues. If your 

 border is poor, liquid manure should be given occasionally. 



After the leaves have fallen, which will be in October, or 

 early in November, cut back the two spurs to one eye, or bud, 

 each, and the long cane to two eyes. If any insect has been 

 troublesome, to destroy them, or their eggs, wash the vines 

 carefully with soap suds, moderately strong. The first of 

 December, protect the vines for the winter, by a covering 

 of straw, or Russia mats ; the border must also be covered 

 with seaweed, or coarse litter, to protect the roots from frost. 

 This completes the management for the first year. 



Second Year. 



The second year, as the spring advances, and the power of 

 the sun increases, open the wmdows and doors of the house 

 to let the heat escape, and to prevent the vines bursting their 

 buds, shutting up again before night ; do not hasten the push, 

 ing of the vines, but rather keep the house cool until the 

 tenth of April, when it will be best to uncover them ; promote 

 a free circulation of air in bright weather ; give some ventila- 

 tion on cloudy days ; shut up the house before the sun sets. 

 About the middle or last of May, the four eyes will have 

 grown, each, one or two feet ; train up the strongest of the 

 two on last year's wood, and shorten back the other three, by 

 pinching off the ends of the shoots ; during the season, give 

 plenty of air in fine weather, and shut up the house at night. 

 The best way of training the vines is by iron rods, parallel 

 with the rafters, having three of them ; a centre one, to which 

 should be tied the cane, and one on each side of this, about 

 eight inches distant, to tie the bearing shoot to ; in a cold 

 house, they should be ten inches from the glass, and, in a 

 forcing one, fourteen inches.* 



* Some persons prefer the rods to rim horizontally the whole length of the house, 

 which is the preferable mode when the vines are planted at three feet distance from 

 each other, and no regard is paid to placing them under the rafters. This is the 



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