18 



Vinery for early and late Grapes. 



all the border (Jig. 12. a a a) be made above the surface 

 (b b), especially for early forcing, and that sufficient width 

 should be given instead of unnecessary depth. This will be 



found far more suitable for the plants, as at no time does the 

 vine require much water. In the next place, and in order to 

 obtain every advantage of such a building, I would propose 

 to have the house in two divisions (c d\ having vines planted 

 in each to be forced separately. The back division (c) I 

 should consider the best adapted for early forcing ; and I pro- 

 pose to enclose it completely from the other, by removing the 

 lower sloping sash (e\ and fixing it by temporary means (f ), 

 so as to include all the plants, the soil, and the return of the 

 flue (g) belonging to the first division. A steam boiler (Ji) 

 may or may not be made use of both for heating the 

 atmosphere of the upper division, and for heating the soil 

 over the steam vault (i). To the practical gardener I need 

 not add more. The advantages appear to be threefold : first, 

 a succession of fruit from April or May to February, by forc- 

 ing the back division from Christmas to May, and only using 

 fire in the front division to ripen the wood ; secondly, by the 

 elevation of the border and a proper preparation of the bot- 

 tom by paving or otherwise, the luxuriance of the vines will 

 be diminished, and their productiveness and the high flavour 

 of the fruit increased ; thirdly, by means of the steam vault 

 (z), as complete a command is obtained of the roots of the 

 early division as if they were in a pot, and steam may be ad- 

 mitted to this division either to heat the water of a cistern (k), 

 or directly from the supply pipe (l), which will deliver the 



