THE FRUITING YEAR. 



35 



With regard to watering the inside border I have 

 as yet said nothing, and will now remark that, if the 

 bottom drainage is good, it may get a thorough soak- 

 ing of soft tepid water when the vines are started, 

 another after the grapes are set, a third when they are 

 taking their second swelling, and a fourth when they 

 begin to colour ; the three latter may be liquid manure. 

 These should be no surface waterings, but thorough 

 drenchings ; and if the season is very dry, like that of 

 1868, the borders inside and out should be mulched 

 with rotten dung and receive several extra waterings ; 

 unless this is attended to, where the soil is light and 

 gravelly, red spider is sure to injure the vines. In no 

 case tread on the border when it is newly watered. 

 I ought to have remarked that the leaves placed on 

 the floor of the vinery may be removed as soon as the 

 grapes are set, and before the second watering. The 

 moment the first berry in the house begins to colour, 

 the supply of air should be more liberal both by night 

 and day, and the moisture less, where high flavour is 

 aimed at. When the grapes are all cut, it is too often 

 the case that the vines no longer receive that attention 

 which they ought till their foliage ripens and falls off 

 in the autumn. Immediately after the grapes are cut, 

 the vines should get a good syringing with tepid water 

 to wash ofl" any spider that may be on their foliage, or 

 any dust that may have settled on it. The border 

 should have water enough to keep it moist — the inside 

 border, I mean ; for it rarely occurs that an outside 

 vine-border requires water supplied artificially. In very 

 hot summers a mulching of short dung will keep it 

 sufficiently moist. All second growths the vines may 

 make should be pinched ofl" at once. If this matter is 

 not attended to, and these after-growths are allowed to 



