by fire-heat at night, and it may be run up with sun to 85° or 90°. In giving air, let it be at the top of the house in the first part of the day; then, as the heat from the sun increases, admit a little at the front, but with great care in cold weather where there are no means such as I have previously described for heating it. As the season advances, say in August, give abundance of air in all directions. This will help to make the wood hard and brown; but be careful of the foliage till it decays naturally. The diseases and attacks from insects to which vines are liable, as well as the best means of preventing their ravages, will be treated of in subsequent chapters.

THE SECOND YEAR'S TREATMENT.

This begins with the cutting back of the vines, say in December; and in the case of those that are not to bear fruit, they may be cut to within 3 feet of the bottom of the rafter, where only one rod is to be grown from each vine; where two or more rods are to be grown from one, cut them to within 18 inches of the soil; those that are to fruit the second year may be left 8 feet long, and be allowed to bear eight bunches each, supposing them to have made canes 14 inch in circumference, and that the wood is well ripened and short-jointed, with the buds or eyes prominent. This done, the whole wood and glass of the house inside should have a thorough good washing, and the canes should be washed with soap and water with a brush, and painted over with a mixture composed of 2 oz. soft soap, 2 oz. flowers of sulphur, and 1 gill tobacco-water, to 2 quarts of water; stir the whole together, and add clay sufficient to give it the con

sistency of paint, which will destroy any larvæ of redspider or other insects that may be left on them; but where no spiders have been on the vines during the summer, this painting may be dispensed with; and it never should be applied after the buds begin to swell, as it will injure them. When painted, let them be tied to the wires, and give the surface of the border a slight prick over with a fork, but beware of going so deep as to injure the roots. Cover the surface of the border with horse-droppings to the depth of 2 inches when they can be had watering over them enriches the border and feeds the roots, preventing rapid radiation at same time. On the 1st of February they may have fireheat applied, beginning as in the first year in regard to moisture and syringing. As soon as the buds break, increase the heat at night to 60°, and by the time they have got some part of their foliage fairly expanded, increase it 5° more, running up 10° or 15° above this with sun-heat. The atmosphere should be kept sufficiently moist by sprinkling the border and paths, if there is no steam-tray on the pipes; but avoid syringing the pipes when they are hot, as this raises a great cloud of steam for a few minutes, doing more harm than good. What the vine requires for its growth, with healthy foliage of good texture, is an atmosphere not arid, but certainly not steaming like that of a cucumber-frame. This year, the laterals that form on the young rods must be pinched at two leaves from the leading stems; and those laterals that start on the 3 feet that was left of last year's rod must have any bunches they show picked off, with the exception of one or two that may be left to be left to prove the variety, and be stopped, say at the fifth joint, and tied to the wires. When the leading shoot has gone half up

the rafter, it may be stopped, and then allowed to start again, and not stopped more till the autumn pruning. The laterals below the middle of the house must also be stopped every time they start beyond one joint. Vines started as early as these have been will be nearly ripe by the end of July, and at that date the laterals on the young wood that is to bear fruit the following year should be cut off close to the base of the stalk of the leaf that springs from the leading rod; but this leaf itself should be carefully preserved, as it will still be of service in laying up sap to plump the fruit-bud for next year. The house may now have abundance of air night and day, till the leaves become yellow and fall off in September, when the laterals on the previous year's wood may be cut back to an eye that will be found at the base of the said lateral, where it springs from the parent stem. The leaves should all be cleared off now, the rods cut back to 8 feet, and any loose bark on the previous year's wood removed; after which give them a good wash with tepid water and a little soap, and then paint with the same mixture as recommended for the previous year, if spider has made its appearance on the vines during the season. At this season every part of the interior walls of the vinery should be washed with hot lime whitewash, with a little sulphur stirred in it, and all the woodwork and glass cleaned thoroughly with soap and water well dashed into every corner.

THE FRUITING YEAR.

Vines prepared as has been recommended may be started on the 1st of January the third year. My practice with vines of this description is to collect as many

oak-leaves as will make a heap 3 feet deep on the vinery floor, where they soon become hot and give off a fine genial heat, which carries with it all the moisture required. Young vines, especially if very strong, are prone to start strong shoots at their points that will monopolise all the rising sap, and leave the others unsupplied. To prevent this as much as possible, sling the points of the vines down, so that they hang on a level with the part that is tied to the first or second wire, till all the eyes have made 3 inches of wood, when they may be fixed. If there are means of giving bottom-heat, it should be applied so as to raise the temperature of the border where the roots are to 60°. If this can be done, the heat from the hot leaves may be supplemented by the heating apparatus, so as to keep the atmosphere of the house at 50° by night, and 55° by day, rising 10° by sun-heat. With these appliances, and syringing with tepid water daily, the vines will soon begin to burst their buds; and as soon as it can be observed that there are two shoots starting from one eye, the weakest should at once be rubbed off with the hand, and syringing discontinued. In its stead a small portion of the hot leaves may be forked over daily; this will afford all the atmospheric moisture necessary till after the fruit is set. The moment the bunches can be distinguished, the heat should be raised 5° at night and the same during the day; and by the time the shoots have run out 3 inches, 5° more; and by a daily rise from this point, till, in the case of Hamburgs, and the free-setting class, it reaches 70° at night, when the grapes are in bloom. Muscats set best at 75° at night, and 80° of fire-heat during the day, and up to 90° with sun. My own practice is to take off all the bunches that show on a lateral shoot but one, and to

stop the lateral on which it grows two leaves or joints beyond the bunch, and to pinch all sub-laterals at the first joint, and to repinch them without leaving an additional joint. I consider this gives ample foliage for perfecting the fruit and keeping up the vigour of the vine; and it will be found to be as much as can be properly exposed to light, supposing the leading stems of the vines to be 2 feet (3 feet is not too much) apart, which is as close as ever they should be. When the grapes are set, it is necessary to determine the number of bunches to be left on such vines. My experience proves that eight bunches on each rod are sufficient, supposing such bunches to average, when ripe, 14 lb. each: of course the largest and best bunches ought to be left, and as equally all over the house as possible. None should, however, be left on the leading shoot,—which should not be stopped till it reaches to the top of the house, this year.

It is difficult to give precise directions for thinning the berries; it must, however, be done as early as possible, after the grapes are set, in the case of the free setters; but in the case of Muscats it is best to wait till it becomes obvious which of the berries are properly set and taking the lead. Care must be taken not to injure the berries that are left in any way, either by touching them with the hand or scissors. Experience alone can teach how thin they should be: they should be so thin that every berry is able to swell perfectly without being jammed, and at the same time the bunch should be so firm that, when cut and laid in a horizontal position on the dish, it preserves the same shape as when hanging vertically from the branch. This I consider the perfection of thinning, and can only be obtained by experience