iSyi.] FRUITING YOUNG PINE-APPLE PLANTS. 393 



as age and exhausted stores b^Bgin to tell on it. The leaves alter their 

 character to an extent that the eye of the Pine-grower does not approve. 

 And when fruit does appear, it shares the same deteriorated qualities. 



It is also a fact well known to Pine-growers, that when a set of 

 Pine-plants run over eighteen months without starting into fruit, the 

 chances are much increased against their being pliable in the hands of 

 the cultivator, and in favour of their continuing to grow instead of 

 starting when he wishes them to start. The ordinary way of proceed 

 ure in such cases, when they do occur, is to starve them into fruiting ; 

 always a most unsatisfactory way of producing the result aimed at. 

 It certainly is desirable to prevent their onward growth, but not in 

 a way to debilitate the whole system of the plants ; and we would again 

 recommend the " cutting-down " system as much more sure to cause 

 them to start and to invigorate the plants, and cause them to produce 

 finely-swelled fruit. 



Suppose a set of plants intended and expected to start in July and 

 August for autumn and winter supply, and that a portion of them do 

 not start, but show a disposition to grow, — we would recommend that, 

 instead of trying to make these plants start by first a stunting and 

 starving process for a month or six weeks, and then to stimulate them 

 with increased heat and moisture (w^hich perhaps may start them about 

 October, but the chances are against it), they be wintered very much 

 as succession or full-grown plants till the end of December. Then cut 

 them over at the surface of the pot, strip off a few of the bottom 

 leaves, pot them in fresh fibry loam, plunge them in a brisk bottom- 

 heat, and keep a moist atmosphere in preference to watering them at 

 the root till they make roots an inch or two in length. In this way 

 I have never noticed that the plants suffered in the least, but that 

 instead they get healthier in appearance, and very soon start into fruit, 

 and invariably swell fruit with splendid pips and yield good suckers, 

 much more so than they will if left on their old roots in the compara- 

 tively exhausted soil. The reason for this is very apparent — namely, the 

 very vigorous young feeders which they send out in all directions into 

 fresh maiden loam, which in itself contains so much of the elements 

 of vigorous growth. The question may be asked. Why have plants 

 that require such treatment and trouble 1 It is much better to be 

 without them, certainly. But the most successful of growers are 

 sometimes balked in starting young plants to a month or two ; and 

 then the best remedy, or alternative, is always worthy of being resorted 

 to. And we think the most satisfactory remedy is to make young 

 plants of them again, and get youthful results. 



