202 
THIS FLOSISi' and pomolocist. 
when they come out in flower perfectly. Some plants of imported Lselias, 
in a cold house, were going quite brown at the tops, and appeared to he 
dying off, hut after removing them into heat they are now showing their 
flowers freely. I find Brasavola venusta very much the same ; the flower 
scape quite damping off in a cool house, which, had it been removed into 
heat when first showing hloom, I have no douht would not have occurred. 
Is this not to be accounted for in this way, that the plants make their 
growth during the rainy season, when the temperature must be much lower 
than during the fine season which succeeds it, and which is their period of 
flowering ? 
George Eyles, 
ON EXPOSING VINES DURING THE WINTER. 
In former days the practice of exposing Vines during the winter months 
was very common. Sometimes it was done from necessity, either through 
Pine plants being grown in the same house, or through the house being 
required for some other purpose, such as forcing Strawberries, &c., whilst the 
Vines were at rest; but it was also not unfrequently done under the erroneous 
impression that exposure was beneficial to the Vines. It was a practice in 
those days by no means uncommon to remove the whole of the lights from 
the vineries and Peacli-houses for several months. The consequence of 
this practice was, that in severe winters the buds and wood were greatly 
injured, and sometimes killed ; and after the lights were put on, and forcing 
commenced, the buds on Peach trees would fall off instead of swelling, and 
young shoots and large branches would not unfrequently die off; while 
Vines, even with almost constant steaming, syringing, and forcing, could 
scarcely be got to break, and when any of them broke the shoots were so 
weak they would not stand the least sunshine, and shading—yes, shading— 
was had recourse to. If they showed any bunches, they not unfrequently 
died off, and the Vines eventually had oftentimes to be removed, and 
fresh ones planted in their place. Most gardeners of any lengthened 
experience will have seen instances of this kind. 
The practice of exposing Vines in these days, even, is not altogether done 
away with ; but it is now done more from necessity than choice, through the 
houses being required for other purposes. Vines that are grown under 
glass will only bear a certain degree of cold, and to expose them to the 
rigour of our winters without any kind of protection, is to run the risk of 
having them seriously injured, or, if very severe frost should set in, to have 
them completely ruined. When it becomes necessary to take Vines out 
of a house, they should be protected by some means from the severity of 
the winter. If there be no special provision made for this, such as double 
sashes in front, &c., then they should be well covered up with mats or straw. 
I have known several instances of Vines being greatly injured by being 
exposed to the rigours of winter. One case that I saw some years ago—that 
of a house of young Vines completely ruined by a severe frost, struck me 
very forcibly at the time, and has convinced me of the erroneousness 
of exposing Vines to the severity of winter. I then resolved that I would 
never expose Vines to the rigours of winter; and that if compelled to take 
them out of the houses, I would adopt the precaution to protect them well 
whilst they were out. From what I have seen myself, and from the 
numbers of queries that are annually sent to the gardening periodicals 
about Vines not breaking, breaking badly, &c., I am convinced a great 
