90 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



should be cut out immediately the crop is cut the second 

 season. Those -at the top can be left to bear another 

 season without detriment to the permanent vines. 



MANAGEMENT OF VINES THE THIRD AND FRUITING YEAE. 



Pruning for the First Crcyp. — For the first crop the 

 vines should be fruited to little more than the extent 

 of one-third the rafter, it being of much importance to 

 get the buds at the bottom of the vine to start strongly 

 and evenly the first year, to secure at once strong 

 fruiting spurs and buds all over the rods. If the rods 

 are left longer than this, especially if they have to be 

 started early, the top buds are apt to break strongly, 

 and those below are less likely to keep anything like 

 pace with them. With this shortening back, and the 

 cutting off of the laterals close to the bud on the rods, 

 the pruning is complete for the first fruiting season. 



Time to commence Forcing, &c. — After cleaning the 

 vines as recommended for the previous season, the 

 whitewashing of the walls and the thorough cleansing 

 of everything connected with the house, the border 

 should be pricked up with a fork, and a top-dressing 

 of about two inches of rotten manure spread all over 

 it. The time to start the vines of course depends on 

 when ripe grapes are required, and whether the vines 

 are ultimately intended for early forcing. If started 

 last year at the 1st of February, they may this season 

 be started three weeks earlier with fire-heat, having 

 previously, in gardening phrase, shut up the house for 

 fourteen days — which means that the vinery be kept 

 close without fire-heat unless the weather be frosty, 

 when during that fortnight the temperature should be 

 kept ranging from 40° to 45° at night. Vines started 



