12 
THE APPLICATION OF MANURES. 
advantageous as the glass is to the roots 
in cold and wet weather, they will require 
the share of moisture of which they have 
been deprived. This, in cold weather, should 
be given fully as warm as the temperature of 
the bouse, and the whole border should have 
it; and according to the quantity which you 
have been obliged to keep from them, you 
must be guided as to what they should have 
given artificially. All houses should have 
tanks to receive the water from their own 
roofs; and this is generally found through the 
winter months more than an ample supply, 
as few things require it. Not so, however, the 
vine: as soon as it hegins to swell its buds, it 
wants moisture, which we would not let it 
have naturally, and therefore must supply 
from the tank. It is needless to say these 
glasses over the roots of the vine are as 
moveable as those on a cucumber frame, and 
can be taken away half the width or all the 
width. We wish some of our friends who have 
a choice little house with muscat of Alexandria 
in, would, besides doing all they have done, let 
there be glass over the border, pay attention 
to the watering, where it does not get the 
weather, and, with the aid of the glass, and 
the other matters that the glass leads to, they 
may, perhaps, grow the grape a trifle larger, 
and a trifle earlier, and find it a trifle riper. 
FORCING GRAPES. 
You may grow grapes under glass either 
for the protection it affords to bring fruit 
forward without artificial heat of any con- 
sequence in due season, or to force it out of its 
natural season by means of artificial heat and 
very simple and straightforward are the opera- 
tions in such cases. Whether you set your 
vines to work in November or March, or any 
of the intervening months, from the day you 
shut them up, keep the house the first week 
between 40 and 50, and next let the minimum 
heat be 50, and the maximum 55. Continue 
this temperature without alteration until they 
are in bloom, when you may raise to 60, and 
not exceeding 65, and the house must be 
closed. For although air may be given, 
through all the previous stages, if the heat; can 
be maintained with it, none must be given 
during the bloom, unless the sun happen to be 
very hot and raise the temperature too much. 
The glass over the roots will be found of the 
greatest advantage. The first thinning of the 
grapes, as soon as they are set, will be found 
a warm job, but it is a duty which must not 
be neglected twenty-four hours. After the 
grapes are well set, the temperature of the 
house must not be let down below 60, but 
during the sun heat it will matter but little 
if it rises to 90 or even 100 occasionally ; 
these are the times to give air, which conduces 
greatly to their good, but must not be given 
on a risk of lowering the temperature too 
much. Sun heat rarely troubles the early 
forced houses, but there is sure to be plenty 
of it when the forcing is begun in February 
or March. 
SORTS OF GRAPES. 
With regard to the sorts of grapes best 
under glass there is great choice. The black 
Hamburg is by far the handsomest dark 
grape, and taking all its qualities, deserves 
the first place. It ripens pretty early, and is 
a fine grape. To follow this, Wilmot's black 
Hamburg is a late grape, and would hang 
till Christmas. It is quite as handsome as 
the former, and perhaps larger; fully as hand- 
some in colour; but as it colours before it is 
nearly ripe, it is frequently marketed and 
tasted and condemned without deserving it. 
The skin is thicker than that of the Hamburg, 
but even this thins as it ripens, and we should 
say, that under the same treatment one would 
be cut far better in perfection pretty nearly 
two months later than the other. The white 
muscat of Alexandria, or the common wall 
muscat, whichever is easiest got hold of, is 
another important kind of grape to grow 
under glass. This requires more ripening 
than any other, and is, without exception, 
the finest grape in the world. The white 
muscadine, sweet-water, and Grizley Frontig- 
nan, are all fine grapes and good forcers, and 
should each find a place before many of the 
kinds which are now cultivated. 
Experiments tried on a small scale cannot be 
relied on for general purposes; but we trust, 
even theorists, who have not tried it at all, 
will see enough in it to justify fair trials, 
where there are the means at hand. Forcing 
the vine at different seasons; growing the vine 
in pots; growing them in quantity for market, 
and various other purposes, will be treated as 
separate and distinct subjects ; but those who 
have vines which do not bear in houses, 
should lose no time in digging up the border, 
clearing away bad stuffy and replenishing 
it with the stuff we have recommended well 
incorporated and pressed among the old roots 
after cutting away the decay. 
THE APPLICATION OF MANURES. 
It is no easy matter to induce a gardener 
to try experiments upon any great scale with 
the article of manure; for having all his life 
contrived to grow things w r ell enough with the 
means at his disposal, he is unwilling to incur 
much responsibility by venturing upon changes 
which may or may not be efficacious. Manures 
in common use are stable dung, neat's dung, 
farm-yard dung, (which is a compound of 
all three, and decayed vegetables, and which 
