CALENDAR. 283 



Vines. — "Where the earliest crop of grapes is the produce 

 of vines in pots, they will in many cases be ripe this month ; 

 and will not — especially if the pots are plunged — require so 

 much water, as neither the fruit nor matured foliage can 

 make use of so much. They require just sufficient to keep 

 the fruit "plump" and the foliage healthy — a superabun- 

 dance will give watery grapes. Keep the house cooler and 

 drier than when they were being forced on ; and while cold 

 currents of air must still be avoided, a little air must be left 

 on all night, in amount sufficient to prevent moisture con- 

 densing on the fruit: Crops that have arrived at the colour- 

 ing point should have a decreasing supply of moisture in the 

 air, and an increasing amount of air as the colouring and 

 ripening processes go on. It often occurs that red-spider 

 appears on early-forced vines just at the time of colouring, 

 and this pest must be sharply watched and vigorously put 

 down. Succession-houses that have been thinned, and in 

 various stages between that and colouring, may now be 

 pushed on with much less fire-heat than in the dull short 

 days of very early spring, and may therefore be kept some- 

 what warmer : 70° during mild weather, and 65° when very 

 cold at night, should be aimed at in the case of Hamburgs 

 and vineries with a mixed assortment of vines. Look over 

 the vines twice a-week, and remove all lateral growths as 

 soon as they 'appear. Thin the bunches and berries in suc- 

 cession-houses. Muscats coming into bloom may have the 

 heat raised to 75° during mild weather at night until fairly 

 set. Where the borders of late houses have been kept dry 

 inside, let them have a good soaking of tepid water, — the 

 surface being first stirred up and left somewhat rough, or 

 water will not penetrate freely nor regularly. See that 

 newly-planted vines do not suflfer for want of water, and rub 

 off superfluous buds as they break. 



Peaches and Nectarines. — Crops that have passed the 

 stoning stage may be forced on more freely, and the night 



