THE CULTUBE OF THE GEAPE. 137 



every year, ten pounds of grapes are quite as much as 

 each vine will perfect, on an average of years. 



Before making the fires, the border must be attended 

 to ; if it was covered in the autumn with coarse litter or 

 leaves, as directed, it should now have a quantity of fresh 

 strawy stable manure added, and well mixed with the 

 litter ; cover the whole border to the depth of eighteen 

 inches, and protect this from the cold rain and snow with 

 boards ; this will effectually prevent the frost from pene- ' 

 trating to the roots. The management of the vine will 

 be the same as directed for the cold house ; the pruning, 

 thinning, and training must all be done in the same man- 

 ner. Forcing, earlier than the first of March, is attend- 

 ed with much more risk of failure; the expense and 

 trouble are more, and these are all increased in propor- 

 tion as you begin before this time, and the amount of 

 fruit which a vine is able to mature is diminished in a 

 similar ratio. 



DIKECTIONS FOE MANAGING THE FOEOING-HOITSE. 



Commence forcing your house with a temperature of 

 40° at night, 60° by day ; admit air freely when the sun 

 shines ; upon the furnace and. the flues, place pans of 

 water ; the vines should be kept in a horizontal position 

 until they are pushing strong ; syringe or wet them re- 

 peatedly during the day, and keep the air of the house 

 moist by watering the floor. After ten days, raise the 

 temperature to 45° by night, 65° by sunshine ; continue 

 to keep the house moist until the vines have all broken 



