FRUIT-GROWING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 10

FRUIT-GROWING.

THE CißArK.— tConlinueci.) Something must now be s-nid regarding giving air to tho vin.*ry, and on tli's. point opinions differ, but what i 3 required is not theory, but sound piaetiee. Mr Kuc'ianan's opinion on the nW system haralod down to them, to use a Scot phia-e, wa- "wrang. far wrang, an' a'thegither wrang" — viz., the opening of both top and bottom veiuilatoi-. (Be held this to be positively injurious, and ,Mas of opinion that faulty ventilation was the cause, in most cases, of the attack of ppider on the vine.-. 'I lie (-Jio- colmar, though a strong. iolnst grower, has peculiarly soft, tender leave*, which aie often seen during the gi owing season shrivelled at the edges, and quite blown 11ns is supposed to arise from by tho mil's rays, and "ob'cin.uc the i*la =3 is adopted 'This is a great error, .1- it is caused by improper '■ide or front vcatilation, causing a draught up to the loof. Great cue and sudgm<?nt aie required in giving air, and abundance of fresh air i« needed, especially for black grapes. It should only be ad- ' mittod from the top, when there need be no fear of scorching. Vme< wi'l stand a high temperature without injury. No side or bottom ventilators should be v= (> c'. About the tcmperatiuo bc-t -uited for the trine, spt-aking generally, to get a high colour on while grapes a higher temperature is retiuirec' than for black As a rule a high finish ca-.mot bo put cm black grapes with liard firing. No set temperature can be scrupulously- observed. A good and .-afe plan is to have sufficient pipes scattered in the house, keeping them warm, but never , hot, and the temperature will generally bo right Guard against fire heat on bright days, for then tho pipes cannot be too cool. 'A temperature, at night of 7Cdeg is too high. It 13 weakening, the °ame as sleeping in close, warm looms is to human beings. From a 60dog tempeiatuie vmci ri- 0 fitter >nd fresher for their day's woik. Xo higher temperatuie i- uec.Css.iry to set the most difficult land-. The sole u-e of p.pes in a hoi'-p is to give off heat i<>r the benefit of the <jrc:ip.i'itA.nother matter of s-econdary importance U where they would look be«t and bo mo-t out of the way. The moie the pipe- aie spread over the borders tho better and moie legular will tho heat bo distributed. It i-> not a good practice to keep the atmo«ph"ie dry and hot during ihe flowering period The ordinary cour=e of dampinrr -Lo'ild li" carried out. The best method to adupt in helping the fruit to set is by drawing lightly a feather duster over the flovveis once a day If the right material v not in the wood ami bud all the fox tails and rabbit pads 111 the world will not give a good set. All bunches should be removed to at least one on a shoot is coon as possible. - If the vine appears healthy, but does not jet well, or goes wrong at the fini-hing. liftthe roota. jeive fre-h toil, and lelay.

other important matter is the style of training to adopt. Tho single iv.il -y-iem v not the best. A method which permit* the vine to extend and occupy a larger -vace each succeeding year is the moie natural way of tiaining, and heavier crop- and liner fruit tan be maintained ovtr a longer penod and at less exneu-e than by the u»ual sv-stem. T3ad cases of shanking have also been cuied Ly the extending system, ancl when a Louse is devoted to on© variety only, the best results would be obtained if one vine were so extended a« to fill the whole house. This can easily bo judicially done where the 3ft apart system was originally followed by careful management and removals. Tho Hamburg among blacks is the* favourite for early fruiting-, bit. it is not a very profitable kind. Maddie-tield Court i s nearly as early, and fetches higher price-. (?ro 2 Colmar, for a late, ha* no equal. Alicante for an all-round cropper is peihap- the ino-t valuable and most grown for maiket pur-po-e=. Muscat of Alexandra is about the only white worth growing.