278 PINE CULTURE IN SOUTH WALES. 



XXII. — Pine Culture in South Wales. By W. P. Ayres, 

 CM. H.S. 



HA\aNG recently visited several of the most noted gardens for 

 the growth of Pine-apples in South Wales, it has occurred to me 

 that a short account of what I have seen may not be without 

 interest to the Fellows of the Horticultural Society, nor unworthy 

 of a place in the Society's Journal. Wales has long been cele- 

 brated for Pine culture, the Providences of Piheola and some 

 other places being noted for their size and excellence, when the 

 writer of this was but a youngster in the art and mysteries of 

 horticultui'e — but Pine-growing in those days was more the result 

 of patience and perseverance, than vigorous development, and if 

 a plant could be got to stand over two or three years longer than 

 usual, that is, if it was five or six years old instead of three, and 

 if it had increased in size during all that time, that was the plant 

 looked to as likely to produce something extraordinary when it 

 did start for fruit. But how often were these hopes doomed to 

 be disappointed by resulting in feebleness rather than vigour, and 

 fruit anything but proportionate to the size of the plant ? That 

 such should be the case does not surprise us at the present time, 

 when effects have been traced to their causes, and when every 

 person pretending to a knowledge of plant-management is aware 

 that, without a good foundation at starting, it is impossible to 

 proceed beyond mediocrity in cultivation. 



Wales, as far as my short residence in the Principality enables 

 me to judge, does not possess any natural advantages for Pine 

 culture over other parts of Great Britain, The springs are cold 

 and late ; the summers sunless and showery, scarcely twenty-four 

 hours passing consecutively without rain ; indeed, autumn and 

 early winter is the best time in Wales, and if some of our tourists 

 who express themselves so much enraptured with the climate 

 were to visit the country in spring instead of autumn, they would 

 find little to remark upon, except the nakedness and lateness of 

 the country, and almost incessant rain. The absence of sun is 

 very remarkable, even in fine weather, and I cannot more forcibly 

 express this fact than in the language of one of the most intel- 

 ligent gardeners in the country, viz. : — "you may plant at any 

 time, the sun not being likely to interfere with your success, and 

 vou mav make sure of mm twice or thrice a-week, if not every 



