CULTURE 01? GRAPE VlHES UKDER GLASS. 315 



is to procure well-grown one-year-old vines and plant 

 them in spring, but not too early say May in this lati- 

 tude, or just when their buds are beginning to start if 

 kept, as they should have been, in a cool place. It is 

 best to shake the soil from the ball of the young vines 

 that have been grown in pots, although the disentangle- 

 ment or spreading of the roots, to which so much im- 

 portance is by some attached, is of no consequence. In 

 planting it has ever been my practice to set the roots out- 

 side, drawing the tops through the apertures formed in 

 the wall, a little higher than the border inside the house 

 (if there is one). The distance apart at which the vines 

 should be planted is three feet. Strong galvanized wire 

 should be run horizontally fifteen inches across the rafters 

 and fifteen inches from the glass, on which to train the 

 vines. 



I may here state to such as may object to outside 

 planting for hot house or forcing graperies, that I have 

 grown vines so planted for twenty years in succession, and 

 never failed to have a satisfactory crop. And do not 

 think it of any importance to prepare borders inside of 

 the house where the exclusion of the light when the 

 vines are in full leaf, must render the value of the roots 

 inside of but little importance. In early forcing of 

 course, sufficient leaves or manure must be used to cover 

 the border to exclude all frost. 



Firing begun about the first of February. But for 

 earlier forcing, say that beginning in December or 

 January, it is necessary to heat such a border by the 

 use of hot manure or leaves, which must be in sufficient 

 depth to ferment ; and it must be covered with boards in 

 winter so as to throw off rain. The treatment of 



VINES THE FIRST SEASON 



is very simple, presuming they have been planted in May 

 and were cut back to two or three buds inside the front 



