MAR.] GRAPES. 355 



75 ; the border must be kept in a moist state ; 

 and the house must be steamed, mornings and even- 

 ings, by pouring water on the flues, when the fires 

 are brisk. Air need not be so freely admitted at 

 this time, as heretofore, and afterwards to be ad- 

 vised ; as grapes are found to set best in a high, 

 moist heat. A moderate circulation by the venti- 

 lators will be sufficient for the purpose, except, per- 

 haps, in clear sunshine ; when it may be necessary 

 to open a few of the sashes at top, in order to let 

 the rarefied air escape, and keep the temperature 

 within due bounds. 



With regard to pruning, all that is necessary to 

 be done at this time may be performed with the 

 fingers, without a knife ; and indeed most of the 

 summer-pruning of grapes may be so performed ; 

 the shoots to be displaced being easily rubbed off, 

 and those to be shortened, being brittle, are readily 

 pinched asunder. 



After selecting the shoots to be trained for the 

 production of a crop next season, and others neces- 

 sary for filling the trellis from the bottom ; which 

 shoots should generally be laid in at the distance of 

 a foot or fifteen inches from each other $ rub off all 

 the others that have no clusters, and shorten those 

 that have, at one joint above the uppermost cluster. 

 For this purpose, go over the plants every three or 

 four days, till all the shoots in fruit have shewn 

 their clusters ; at the same time rubbing off any 

 water shoots that may rise from the old wood. 



Train in the shoots to be retained, as they ad- 

 vance \ using strands of fresh matting, and allowing 



