fc8 THE GEAPE CULTURIST. 



Now water them, and place the muslin over them when 

 the sun shines, for at least one week ; by this time they 

 will have begun to extend their reots into the fresh soil, 

 and the covering may now be removed ; but the boards 

 at the sides should remain all summer, as a protection 

 against wind and severe driving rains. Water the plants 

 as often as needed ; cover the soil with two or three 

 inches of mulch ; clean straw, hay or leaves are good, 

 and perhaps the best for this purpose. Keep the plants 

 tied to stakes, etc. , as already directed. It is no unusual 

 thing for plants, grown in this manner, to reach the 

 height of six feet the first season, and they are usually 

 more stocky than when grown all the season under glass. 



It is best not to start all the plants in the propagat- 

 ing house at one time, as in that case they will all be 

 ready to be repotted or planted out at the same time ; 

 but they should be started at different periods, say a 

 week or ten days apart, making two or three lots, espe- 

 cially if there is a large quantity to be grown. Then 

 the different stages of growth will enable the propagator 

 to attend to each lot as its growth requires, and at the 

 proper time. When the plants are set out in the open 

 ground, as I have described, the material used for shad- 

 ing the first lot may also be used for the second, and so 

 on, instead of being compelled to purchase enough to 

 cover all at one time. The boards for protection are 

 sometimes omitted, as well as the shading, and in some 

 protected situations they may not be needed. There is 

 also a great difference in the texture of the leaves in the 

 different varieties, some being capable of withstanding 

 sun and strong currents of wind much better than 

 others ; yet I believe all will grow enough better to pay 

 for the expense of protection. 



Starting in Hotbeds. The main object in mak- 

 ing a hotbed is to produce artificial heat, and to have 

 this heat continue uniformly for several weeks. For 



