94 THE CULTURE OP THE GRAPE 



I have found the plan of covering the border with 

 litter (as directed in my remarks on forcing,) to answer 

 every purpose, and at a much less expense. 



I have a small stove or winter-forcing house, where the 

 border is covered with movable glass, which is taken off 

 as soon as the grapes are ripe, or the weather becomes 

 warm in spring ; the border, under this, is covered with 

 six or eight inches of coarse litter and leaves in autumn, 

 and, on the outside, with the same materials, so as, in all, 

 to cover about twentv feet. This answers the purpose 



and forced cherries at £1 10s. per pound, and forced strawberriea, per 

 ounce, 6d to Is. 3d. 



Vol. for 1836, March, page 219, forced strawberries are quoted at from 

 2s. Gd. to 3s. 6d. per ounce, and hothouse grapes at £1 10s. per pound. 



The same year, in April, page 272, .strawberries are quoted at from Is. to 

 2s. per ounce, and grapes at from 10s. to £1 per pound. 



In May, page 328, strawberries were the same price, and grapes at from 

 6s. to 123. per pound; nectarines and peaches at from £2 2s. to £3 3s. per 

 dozen; cherries, per pound, from £1 to £1 10s. 



In June, page 383, grapes were quoted at from 4s. to Ss. per pound ; 

 peaches and nectarines at from 15s. to £1 4s. per doz. ; and cherries at from 

 is. to 8s. per pound. 



In August, page 498, hothouse grapes are quoted -as at 3s. to 5s. per 

 pound. The highest price for hothouse grapes is in March, and by this 

 standard, and in our currency, this is $8.47 per pound, and the value is 

 constantly lessening till September. In August, they are at from 72 cents 

 to $1.21 per pound. 



At Boston, in March, they sell at S2 the pound, and this price is gra- 

 dually falling until August and September, when they can be bought at 

 33 cents to 62 cents per pound. Forced peaches, itectarines, clierries, and 

 strawberries, are at the same relative prices as grapes; and, indeed, neither 

 of these last-named fruits can be grown for market in this country, under 

 glass, to yield the cost of production, at the prices customarily paid for them. 



The Gardeners' Chronicle fl»r this year, 1848, quotes them at lower prices, 

 $3 per pound being the highest mentioned. In Boston, in July, this year, 

 they have been sold cj the quantity as low as 50 cents, which is less than 

 the cost 



