LONDON. 5 



eight or even ten hours together, being satisfied that the 

 temperature would continue to be maintained for that 

 length of time. 



The only kinds of grape-vines cultivated by Mr An- 

 drews, are the Black Hamburgh and the White Sweet- 

 water. The former is the variety here preferred : the 

 vine is a sure bearer ; and the bunches of grapes being gene- 

 rally of considerable size, while the individual berries are 

 large and showy, they are excellently suited to the market. 

 Two of the vineries consist of glass on every side, with 

 what are called span-roofs. In these the vines are trained 

 on both the side- walls, and along the slopes of the roof. 

 The flues are situated in the middle of the houses. Very 

 little fire-heat is given; larger and surer crops being thus 

 obtained, though at a later period of the season. 



In one large forcing vinery of the ordinary construc- 

 tion, the vines are close pruned, and cover only the front 

 and back walls of the house. The centre part or floor is 

 filled with strawberry plants, in pots ; these produce their 

 fruit in April, when a ready market is found, at high 

 prices. The kind preferred for forcing is the Virginia or 

 scarlet (Fragaria Virginiana), the same that is most com- 

 mon in the Edinburgh market. We saw about 7000 pots 

 containing plants in a state of preparation for forcing : 

 the plants are forced only the second year after potting, so 

 that they may be in full vigour when they enter the hot- 

 house. Those plants which have been forced are not again 

 employed, but are cast out as useless. When the forcing 

 season is over, the front vine stems are led to the outside 

 of the house, and kept in the open air during summer, in 

 order to ripen the wood, and render it more firm. 



It was with some surprise, and not without regret, that 

 we remarked, that in a spot of ground where so much 

 capital is laid out, scarcely any attention seemed to be paid 



