Keep the atmosphere in the early house, when the Grapes are quite ripe, dry and cool. If our previous directions regarding mulching and watering the border before they were quite ripe, have been carried out, there will not be much fear of them becoming too dry at the root before the fruit is all used. Should red-spider present itself, sponge the leaves wherever and whenever it is noticed. If clean soft-water is to be had, the Vines may be syringed on two successive afternoons; it will not destroy the bloom of the Grapes, and it is much preferable to allowing red-spider to get a footing. When the fruit is all cut from pot-Vines, remove the Vines, and thoroughly wash and cleanse the house, and then the young Vines intended for fruiting in pots next year can be put in it. They will now be ready for their fruiting-pots, and should be pushed on with a high temperature. We recommend a rather strong turfy loam, with bone-meal and a little pounded charcoal for these. Shut up Vineries where Grapes are swelling off early in the afternoon, running the heat up to 85° for a time with sun; and start fires in time to prevent Muscats and other heat-loving sorts from falling below 70°, and Harnburgs below 65°, as minimum night-temperatnres. Look over the Vines two or three times weekly, and rub or pinch off all incipient superfluous lateral growths.

See that the bunches are sufficiently thinned before the berries become too compact for thinning. Whenever they begin to colour, gradually withdraw atmospheric moisture, and increase the amount of air by day and night. Stop and tie down the growths in later houses, stopping them two joints beyond the bunch.

Thin the berries immediately they are set in the case of free stoning sorts. Avoid heavy cropping, especially in the case of young Vines; and when the Grapes are intended to hang through the winter, thin the berries well, so that air can circulate about them. Young Vines planted in March and April will now be growing rapidly: allow these to make lateral growth and foliage sufficient to cover the roof, without being crowded. Pay particular attention to inside borders, and see that in no case they ever become dry and crack: give occasional thorough soakings, in preference to more frequent but less efficient waterings.

Vine Forcing #1

Late crops will be undergoing the thinning process this month. These should be thinned more severely than crops that are intended to be cut before November. As much of their successful keeping depends on a circulation of air about the individual berries, see an article by J. M. in our last issue on this subject. The operation of thinning free-setting sorts is too often delayed till the berries are too large to perform the operation with that ease and speed with which it can be done when thinning commences earlier. More air may now be admitted to Vines in all stages, but in bright weather let it be accompanied with frequent sprinkling of the borders. Shut up early with sun-heat, so that the least possible amount of fire-heat be required; but leave a chink of air on all night. Where crops are swelling off let the night temperature at the coldest part of the morning range about 70°, and to maintain this heat little fire will now be necessary in ordinary weather. Examine the borders of all Vines that are in active growth, and see that the inside borders do not become over dry. Give established Vines in full bearing a soaking of manure-water, and afterwards mulch with manure or half-decayed leaves. The same directions apply to outside borders in time of drought.

Keep those houses where grapes are quite ripe cool by leaving air on all night, and do not allow these, or Vines from which the Grapes have already been cut, to make fresh lateral growths, but remove at once every attempt at such, and keep them cool - and, if their roots are mostly in inside borders, not over wet at the root; in short, rest these in all respects. Crops in the process of colouring should have increased air both at front and top lights; do not, however, withdraw moisture suddenly, but do it by degrees between the time that colouring begins and is completed. Immediately the first signs of colouring commence examine the borders, and if dry give a good watering; and if not already done, mulch as has been directed already. A few thorough soakings of water are much to be preferred to more frequent driblets, which do more harm than good. Keep Vines from which the crop is all cut as cool as possible, and syringe the foliage occasionally to keep it clean and free from the attacks of red-spider. Wherever this enemy appears on a Vine from which the Grapes have not been cut, attack it at once with a sponge and clean water; an active man can soon go over a great amount of foliage in this the most effectual of all ways of getting rid of it.

Where the water is pure and free from deposit there is no objection to syringing; as compared to the ravages of red-spider, it is by far the lesser of two evils. Pot-Vines shifted into their fruiting-pots last month will now be growing rapidly. When they reach to (3 or 7 feet stop them, and do not permit much more lateral growth, or the first buds will be deficient; expose these to as much light as possible, and ventilate them freely. Encourage young permanent Vines planted this season to make as much wood and foliage as there is room for without crowding.