168 FKUIT. 



February, with a temperature of 55° at night, 60° to 70° by 

 day, increasing to 60° at night as the leaves expand. By 

 midsummer the heat should rise to 65° at night and 80° 

 to 90° with sunshine during the day for the Muscat house, 

 and the cooler houses always kept 5° lower. All laterals 

 should be regularly pinched, and the side-shoots to form the 

 spurs should be stopped at the sixth leaf and tied to the wires 

 as soon as they can be safely handled, but great care must be 

 taken, as they snap off very easily. A few of the shoots lower 

 down the rod should be left, and pinched at the third leaf so 

 as to clothe the stem, but all bunches should be removed. 

 The treatment of the vines in the second year is exactly 

 similar to that of the first year. 



The third or fruiting year may be regarded as the most 

 important, as then the whole circle of treatment is carried 

 out. The side-shoots should be pruned at the first eye, or 

 second if most prominent, and the leading shoot shortened 

 to about '2h feet, which will furnish two laterals on each side 

 about 14 inches apart. Muscats and other white kinds succeed 

 best, however, with the spurs 18 inches apart, to admit plenty 

 of light to assist the colouring of the fruit. This is also 

 necessary to the perfect colouring of some of the black kinds 

 with thick tough skins. 



The advantages gained by moderately close pruning are : 

 (1.) Securing a gradual thickness and strength from the root 

 upwards; (2.) ensuring a regular break ; (3.) admitting more 

 light and a freer circulation of air among the vines ; and (4.) 

 as a prevention of overcropping, by restricting the number of 

 bearing shoots while the vines are young. After the rods are 

 cleaned and dressed, the surface soil should be taken off the 

 inside border down to the roots. The border may have sub- 

 sided, and should be made up with turfy loam mixed with 

 half-a-peck of artificial vine manure and the same quantity 

 of bone-meal to the barrow-load of soil, and with some 

 decomposed manure bring it up to the original level, finishing 

 off with a thin layer of fine soil and wood-ashes. 



In order to obtain perfectly' finished grapes in August, 

 forcins? should commence in the Muscat house towards th§ 



