278 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



ance of water. Discontinue watering witli manure-water 

 when colouring commences. Attend to all vines in late 

 stages, by timely stopping, thinning, and tying down shoots. 

 Examine inside borders, and keep them moderately moist 

 with water at a temperature 8° or 10° more than that of the 

 atmosphere. Where there are stiU late grapes hanging in 

 small quantities, it is desirable, for many reasons, to cut them, 

 and keep them in a dry fruit-room. As soon as they are all 

 cut, lose no time in pruning and dressing the vines. Then 

 the house can be kept cool and well aired for a month at least 

 before they begin to grow. This is a good time to complete 

 making new vine-borders and planting young vines, though 

 it can be successfully done till midsummer. 



Peaches. — If the weather be cold and sunless, force with 

 the same caution recommended last month. To force peaches 

 at a high temperature by dint of hard forcing is never safe, 

 far less so till after the stoning stage. Do not exceed 55° to 

 60° at night, until they begin to take their second swelling ; 

 then, if the fruit are required early, the heat may range to 

 60° in cold, and 65° in mild weather, especially when the 

 house can be shut up early with sun-heat. See that inside 

 borders are kept properly moist, and syringe all houses where 

 the fruit are set in fine days. Keep a sharp look-out for 

 green-fly, and never let it get a footing ; more especially is 

 this pest dangerous to trees just budding into leaf and fuU 

 bloom. All trees under glass, where there is no command 

 of fire-heat, should be retarded and kept as late as possible ; 

 for if kept close and forwarded early into bloom, a risk of 

 losing the crop by late frosts is incrared. 



Figs. — "Where the fruit are swelling, increase the night 

 temperature to 60° with 10° more by day. Figs like a moist 

 atmosphere, and should be syringed every afternoon, and the 

 air should never be otherwise than moist, except when 

 fruit are ripening. Give careful attention to the matter of 

 watering, especially if they are in pots ; for if allowed to 

 become over-dry, they will cast their crop ; and stagnant 

 water about their roots will produce the same efiect. Give 



