THE VINE. 



283 



about six months. For later crops less time 

 is required; for instance, if a house of Black 

 Hambro be started in February, the fruit will 

 be ripe in from sixteen to eighteen weeks. 

 Muscats and late -keeping kinds, such as Lady 

 Downes, must have a long season of growth, 

 and be started not later than the second week in 

 March for the crop to be finished by the end 

 of September or early in October. Grapes thus 

 produced can be depended on to hang well on 

 the plants, or to keep for a long time in the 

 fruit-room in perfect condition. 



When late-keeping Grapes are started later 

 than the time specified, much fire-heat is neces- 

 sary to ripen the fruit. This affects the flavour, 

 which is never so rich; nor does the fruit keep 

 so well. 



Temperature. — Assuming that a vinery is to 

 be started the first week in January, the tem- 

 perature should be 45° at night and 50° in the 

 day. When the buds have broken, increase 

 the warmth to 50° and 55°, and as soon as the 

 shoots are about 3 inches long further increase 

 it to 55° and 60°. Adhere to these figures 

 until the laterals have lengthened and the 

 bunches begun to develop, when a further 

 rise to 60° and 65° should take place. As soon 

 as the Vines commence to flower, raise the 

 temperature to 75° by day; but 65° will be 

 ample at night. 



When the fruit is set, the day and night 

 temperatures should read 70° and 65° respec- 

 tively, and continue with these figures until 

 the fruit is properly coloured and ripe. The 

 temperatures must be gradually lowered; for 

 Muscats they should read quite 5° higher than 

 the above-named figures until the fruit is set, 

 when a night temperature of 65° to 70° will be 

 ample, and for the day from 75° to 80°. This 

 treatment may be followed until the Grapes 

 are ripe. A rise of 10° with sun-heat should 

 in all cases be allowed for before admitting air. 

 When the house has to be ventilated, the air 

 should be shut off early enough to ensure the 

 temperature rising to 90°, and even if it should 

 exceed these figures by a few degrees no harm 

 will be done, providing the house is damped 

 down immediately. Avoid overheating the hot- 

 water pipes during cold weather; rather main- 

 tain a temperature a few degrees lower. 



Ventilation. — Air should be given at all times 

 when the state of the weather will permit, but 

 with due caution, particularly when there is a 

 great disparity between the internal and ex- 

 ternal temperatures. When the wind is east, 

 especially during March and April, pieces of thin 



scrim or tiffany should be fastened over the 

 ventilators to prevent rushes of cold air. If 

 possible avoid giving air to lower the tempera- 

 ture. Even if through neglect the house should 

 be too hot, a sudden reduction of temperature 

 by admitting cold air must not be attempted. 

 In vineries of modern construction, where large 

 panes of glass are used, the temperatures rise 

 quickly under the influence of the sun's rays. 

 The attendant must therefore be on the alert, 

 and admit only a little air early in the 

 morning, gradually increasing it as the heat of 

 the sun becomes more intense; there will then 

 be no difficulty in keeping up the required 

 temperature. 



Watering and Syringing. — Heat, air, and 

 moisture should be so regulated as to induce an 

 uniformity of growth, for on this depends not 

 only the present but also the future crops. A 

 warm, humid atmosphere is necessary to ensure 

 an even break of the buds, and this is obtained 

 by syringing the Vines several times a day, and 

 by damping the surfaces of the borders, walls, 

 and footpaths twice a day. Some growers 

 make up a hotbed in the body of the house to 

 obtain both the requisite amount of heat and 

 moisture in the earlier stages of growth. The 

 evaporating troughs should be kept filled with 

 water. Syringing should be discontinued during 

 the flowering period, and a dry atmosphere is 

 necessary when the Vines are in flower. Damp- 

 ing of the floors and filling the vaporizing troughs 

 must therefore be suspended until the fruit 

 is set, when the syringing and damping of all 

 exposed surfaces in the house may be resumed 

 at least twice a day, before admitting air in the 

 morning and again at closing time. On hot 

 days the floors will need to be frequently wetted. 

 When the fruit begins to colour, atmospheric 

 moisture must be gradually reduced, and a dry, 

 buoyant air maintained. 



It is usual to give inside borders as much 

 tepid water as will moisten them throughout 

 when the house is closed for starting, unless 

 the soil in the border is found to be sufficiently 

 moist. Generally, however, inside borders are 

 fairly dry when starting-time arrives. After 

 this, watering should be done only when the 

 roots really require it. To ascertain this, ex- 

 amine the soil with a subsoil -tester at different 

 depths. Avoid watering if possible while the 

 Vines are in flower. 



Outside borders often do not receive the at- 

 tention they should with respect to watering. 

 It should not be performed hap-hazard, but only 

 after ascertaining by means of the tester that 



