THE GRAPE VINE. 93 



a means exists, it should be applied to raise the tem- 

 perature of the soil at the commencement of forcing to 

 say 60°. When vines that have a portion of their 

 roots in outside borders have to be started before 

 March, they should be covered in October to throw off 

 the rains ; and a fortnight before forcing is commenced, 

 a bed of leaves, as recommended for the inside border, 

 should be laid on it, to be also protected from rains, that 

 would wash the heat out of it. 



Temperature. — Apply fire-heat sparingly for the first 

 fortnight ; give just sufficient in conjunction with the 

 heat which escapes from the bed of leaves, to keep the 

 night temperature at 45° in cold frosty weather, and at 

 50° when the weather is mild. After the first fortnight 

 raise it by degrees to from 50° to 55°. As soon as the 

 buds have fairly started, give 5° more by degrees, mak- 

 ing a point of rising to 60° when the young shoots are 

 showing their bunches. By the time they are in bloom 

 it should range from 65° to 70°, which is sufiiciently 

 high as a night temperature in the earlier months of the 

 year. Eange the day temperature with sun-heat from 

 10° higher than the night in the early part of the 

 season, to 15° as the natural heat increases and less 

 fire-heat is needed to keep it up. 



The temperatures which are here recommended are 

 sufficiently high for the early months, when it is mostly 

 dependent on fire-heat. But further on in summer, 

 especially after the grapes are thinned and stoned, and 

 a higher temperature can be kept up with a minimum 

 of fire-heat, the night temperature maybe kept at 75° 

 till late at night. Muscats, from the time they show 

 their bunches onwards, require 5'' more than the general 

 run of other varieties ; and to set Muscats well in 



