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especially if the weather prove at all 
cloudy. The summer must, therefore, 
be devoted to the vines; and after the 
crop is gathered, they may be taken out 
of the house, so as not to interfere with 
the winter management of the plants. 
When grapes are grown in the regular 
vinery, of course they are the paramount 
object, and nothing antagonist to their 
welfare can be permitted, though it 
not unfrequently happens that false 
economy induces the introduction of 
other subjects as difficult to reconcile as 
even New Holland plants. In such 
cases perfection never is, or can be, ar¬ 
rived at. The period of starting the 
vines, as it is called, or commencing the 
seasonal action, depends entirely on the 
time the fruit is destined to be ripe. 
The earliest crops are started in No¬ 
vember ; these are usually ripe in April 
and May. But the most usual time is 
January; and, for real excellence, per¬ 
haps, this is the best that can be se¬ 
lected, because the vines then progress 
in unison with the season, or rather 
they have the advancing season to aid 
them. When it is determined to com¬ 
mence exciting the plants they should 
be pruned and cleaned, by removing the 
loose bark from the stem and branches, 
and if insects are suspected of harbour¬ 
ing on them, the whole should be coated 
with a mixture of lime and sulphur, or 
soft soap and sulphur, made into the 
consistence of thick paste, and applied 
with a brush, taking care to rub it into 
every crevice. This will prove fatal to 
the mealy bug, scale, red spider, and all 
other hybernatory insects that usually 
infest the grape. When thus dressed, 
let them be tied to the rafters loosely, 
and close the house. No fire-heat 
will be required for the first fortnight, 
and the increase of temperature must 
subsequently be brought on in a very 
gradual manner; 45° may be taken as 
quite sufficient for the mean tempera¬ 
ture of the first month, or till positive 
signs of action are observable in the 
buds, when it may rise 5° more, conti¬ 
nuing at that till the first leaves are 
fairly visible, when again 5° more may 
be added, and the application of mois¬ 
ture commence. This is best provided 
in the early stages of the growth, by 
means of evaporating pans on the heat¬ 
ing apparatus; but as the leaves are 
unfolded more will be required, and the 
syringe may then be used with advan¬ 
tage. In the third month from starting 
the foliage will expand, and the flowers 
begin to open. This is, perhaps, the 
most important period. It is necessary 
to syringe freely over the leaves, that 
they may be kept in a healthy, vigorous 
condition; and as the sun will be gain¬ 
ing power, air must be admitted to keep 
the temperature of an even character; 
it may reach 70° before the lights are 
opened, and then a little opening at the 
top of the house will keep it steadily at 
that point; continuing thus till the 
flowers are just bursting, when rather 
less moisture should be employed till the 
fruit is set, which, if the plants are 
nicely managed, will occupy about four 
days or a week; and during this time, 
if the weather is favorable, a rather free 
admission of air may be indulged in, 
which, by drying the atmosphere of the 
house, will help to ripen the pollen, and 
render its distribution more easy and 
certain. It is a good plan, as a further 
assistance to this desirable object, to 
give the stems a smart shake once or 
twice a day; and by some it is recom¬ 
mended to syringe the flowers all over, 
as a means of scattering the pollen; but 
this seems rather objectionable, as the 
water may remain on the flowers long 
enough to destroy its fecundating powers, 
while a dry air must be most conducive 
to its ripening and spreading. As soon 
as the berries are observed to be set, an 
abundant supply of moisture must again 
be given, that they may swell freely; 
and to assist them in this stage, the 
introduction of ammoniacal vapour is 
found very beneficial, and may be easily 
provided by placing in the house a 
quantity of sweet fermenting stable 
dung, to be turned to account also in 
the provision of bottom heat for other 
things grown in the same erection, as 
French beans, and a variety of similar 
matters. Tanners’ bark is commonly 
used for this purpose, and, though more 
