260 MR. BARNES ON THE PINE APPLE. 



XXX VIII. — Observations on the Growth of the Pine Apple. 

 By Mr. James Barnes, C.M.H.S., Gardener to The Lady 

 Rolle, F.H.S., Bicton, near Sidmouth. 



(Communicated Aug. 31, 1846, -with 3 Queen Pine-apples, weighing re- 

 spectively 6^ lbs., .5 lbs. 14 oz., and 5 lbs. 11 oz.) 



I HAVE sent for exhibition at the Rooms three Queen Pine 

 Apples, not as specimens of superior growth or weight, for I 

 have produced many much finer ; but to indicate what may be 

 effected under disadvantageous circumstances and at little ex- 

 pense. 



About the middle of August, 1845, the suckers were taken off 

 and placed in 6-inch pots, in rough turfy loam and charcoal ; 

 they were placed on bricks, and some old half worn out tan was 

 forked up amongst them. By the middle of September they had 

 become well rooted, and were removed into 11-inch pots, using 

 the same material as before, and placing them in the same situa- 

 tion, but thinner. They then grew away rapidly. In the second 

 week in January, 1846, they received their final shift into 15-inch 

 pots, in the same material, and by the second week in March 

 they were good plants, and started for fruit early in May. They 

 never had any fire-heat, but always had abundance of air night 

 and day. They were grown in a common brick pit, heated not 

 witli stable-yard dung, but with any fermenting rubbish that 

 could be mustered, for stable dung we had none. The back 

 wall of the old pit fell in on a cold stormy day in May ; and the 

 plants had to be removed to peach-houses, vineries, back-sheds, 

 and sucii places, while the pit was being repaired. Thus they 

 met with a severe check ; nevertheless some of the fruit, after 

 all, swelled to an extraordinary size, more especially the black 

 varieties ; two Enville's measured respectively in circumference 

 within a quarter of an inch of 24 inches. Thus it will be seen 

 that tolerably good pines may be produced without extreme close 

 heat and humidity. As to a strong bottom heat for pines or 

 otiier plants, that is a mere farce ; nature does not apply it upon 

 such principles. If we could apply bottom heat, in the shape of 

 heated air rendered humid, and passed through charred materials, 

 quite open and porous for plants to stand on, or to be partially 

 plunged in according to circumstances, we should be coming a 

 little nearer to what nature provides, and then there would be no 

 cavilling about which was the most proper degree of bottom 

 heat to apply, whether 85° or 105°, so long as the whole interior 

 atmosphere was sufficiently warm and charged with ammonia and 

 other gases. As to what degree of atmospheric heat I keep my 

 pines at, it tlepends so much on the external atmosphere, that I 



