THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 81 



" Proceed as before advised, and lay on, to the depth 

 of two feet or two feet six inches, and four feet wider 

 than you think the extremity of the root reaches, of hot 

 stable manure and collected leaves ; the leaves will assist 

 the manure in giving out a more steady heat, and not so 

 likely to vary with the weather, and, if thatched with 

 straw or covered with any other light material, would 

 retain its heat much longer. Let the temperature at 

 night be kept low, say 45° or 48° ; it may range in the 

 day 15°, 20°, or 25° higher by sun heat, with air, syring- 

 ing the canes with tepid water three or four times in the 

 day, maintaining a very humid atmosphere, by throwing 

 water on the pipes or flues, and sprinkling the pathways. 

 I caution to work steady, so as to break the whole of the 

 eyes upon the young wood, (there will be no doubt of 

 the spurs,) for, bear in mind, you, at winter pruning, left 

 no more eyes than you absolutely wanted ; therefore, pro- 

 ceed cautiously, — you cannot afford to leave one \in- 

 broken ; if that were the case, they might break the 

 next season, but they would leave an unsightly and per- 

 ceptible gap the whole of this year. If all has gone on 

 well, in the course of three weeks or a mouth, your buds 

 will be in motion, and, as soon as you fairly perceive 

 that, sling them up to the wires, two feet from the glass, 

 raising the extremity of the lead within one foot ; it will 

 cause the lower buds to break more boldly : lower the 

 lead as you see occasion. I generally let the vines re- 

 main in that position until all the side shoots are stopped, 

 out of bloom, and want thinning, especially the first 

 house, as, by that time, there is no danger to be appre- 

 hended from the frost. Up to the time the grapes are 

 4* 



