GRA 
GRA 
and crowd the branches so thickly toge-j 
tlier, that the wood and its fruit are as! 
completely shaded from the influence of 
the sun, by the over-luxuriant foliage 
consequent on the position of the roots, 
as though the whole was enveloped in a 
blanket,- and yet marvel that our grapes 
so seldom ripen. 
The “ long-rod” method of training 
is to be preferred for vines in the open 
air, because of the less amount of shade, 
and that the wall may be properly co¬ 
vered, the horizontal branches should be 
trained along at about a foot from the 
ground, and the rods upwards from 
them, at not less than two feet from 
each other. By the beginning of March 
all pruning should be completed, and 
the plants nailed up; after which no 
further attention will be required till 
Midsummer, by which time the bunches 
will have set, and the berries require 
thinning: this should be done with a 
pair of pointed scissors, leaving the re¬ 
mainder loose upon the bunch, so as to 
have room for each individual to swell 
to a full size, and at the same time the 
branches which bear them should be 
shortened to the joint above the fruit, 
and any after-shoots that may appear 
from these laterals must be taken away 
as they come, that the bottom growth 
may be encouraged to occupy the wall 
for the next year. In nailing the young 
shoots of a vine, care should be taken 
to leave the shred loose round the 
branch, because the latter will swell 
very much, and if at all obstructed in 
its upward progress, becomes crooked, 
or perhaps breaks. Towards the end of 
summer, if very dry weather occur, the 
plants are liable to attacks from red 
spider, and if this happens before the 
fruit is fully grown, measures must be 
taken to reduce their numbers; clear 
water thrown with force from the gar¬ 
den-engine is perhaps the best remedy, 
and if frequently repeated, will certainly 
dislodge them, or the leaves may be 
dusted over with sulphur. When the 
fruit is just ripe it should be covered 
with gauze bags, to exclude insects, and 
on the approach of winter, the branches 
should be partially unnailed, that the 
air may get at their back sides, to ripen 
the part previously confined to the wall. 
The pruning may then be done, and the 
wall washed with a mixture of lime, 
sulphur, and soot, if it is supposed there 
are many insects in the crevices. 
In the greenhouse, grapes can never 
be more than a secondary consideration 
where the regular occupants of the house 
are at all cared for, their management 
differing so greatly from that proper for 
the majority of greenhouse plants. Yet, 
with some judgment in alternating the 
treatment, and a little allowance for 
trifling inferiority in both, a medium 
crops may be obtained. As some part 
of the collection will remain in the house 
till June, or even longer, the first stage 
of the vine’s progress will be slow, and 
the ripening of the fruit, consequently, 
deferred till rather late in the season, 
unless an endeavour is made, through 
July and August, to get them forward as 
rapidly as possible. The vines, in the 
earlier stages of their growth, require 
an elevated and very damp atmosphere, 
which is decidedly inimical to the health 
of the plants; the latter, therefore, must 
be removed to the open air, or some 
other place, as soon as the weather will 
permit; and if some slight protection 
can be afforded them, the removal may 
take place at the beginning of May. 
The house should then be kept close, 
comparatively, in order to raise the tem¬ 
perature to about 7 0° through the day, 
freely syringing the foliage every night 
and morning, and the liberal use of 
water on the paths and floor will main¬ 
tain the requisite amount of moisture 
in the atmosphere necessary to their full 
and early development. As the berries 
begin to colour, the atmosphere should 
be rendered as dry as it was before moist, 
that the fruit may.possess a full deep 
colour and rich flavour; but unless this 
can be effected in the early part of au¬ 
tumn, by pursuing the course pointed 
out, it will be quite impossible after¬ 
wards, as the plants will require to re¬ 
turn to their stations, and then the ne¬ 
cessary waterings will create so much 
damp in the house as, in all probability, 
will lead to shanking and rottenness, 
