MONTHLY CALENDAR. 515 



•quantity of air. The best pines for very early forcing are the black Antigua 

 common Queen, and the Providence ; to assist them, a few Jamaicas may be 

 started in October, as they take a couple of months longer to ripen. The 

 plants for the summer crop may remain for a week or two, unless there are 

 reasons for potting them immediately. They may have a larger shift than 

 recommended for the above, and should be kept longer growing in the 

 autumn. 



1611. As the plants are to ripen their fruit in the pots they are now placed 

 in, the size will be regulated by the kind of pine grown, and in some measure 

 by the size of the plant. For queens and pines of similar habit, pots of 

 -from 12 to 15 inches diameter will be sufficiently large; while pots from 

 15 to 18 inches will be quite large enough for the largest Providences and 

 Cayennes. We have recommended the largest-sized pots, supposing the plants 

 are well grown and in vigorous health ; but nothing but disappointment will 

 follow placing pines in large pots, when the pots in which they are growing 

 are not filled with roots to justify shifting them. Much, however, the easiest 

 and cheapest way to grow pines, is to have them planted on a bed of soil 

 fiimished with bottom-heat, either by hot-water pipes, or by applying hot 

 dung underneath ; the soil being supported by brickwork and slates, or rough 

 boards. The bottom-heat required will be from S5° to 95°, and the soil may 

 be turfy loam and peat, with sand and leaf-mould, varying the latter as the 

 loam is heavy or light. If the plants are growing in pots, they may be 

 turned out into the beds whenever the bottom-heat is right ; a few of the 

 outside roots being liberated, and the soil carefully packed round the balls as 

 you proceed. The bed should be brought pretty close up to the glass ; for as 

 the plants will grow vigorously during the autumn, they will require an abun- 

 dance of light, assisted by a liberal supply of air, to check vegetation and 

 mature the fruit. In planting out or growing in pots, always allow plenty 

 of room between the plants, that the leaves may spread themselves in 

 an horizontal direction, and thus expose their surface better to the light ; and 

 it should likewise be a point that the light and air should reach the lower 

 leaves, which can never be the case when they are crowded together. Directly 

 the succession-plants are removed to the fruiting-house, the younger plants 

 intended to succeed later next season, and suckers, should be re-shifted and 

 plunged to occupy their places. After the suckers. &c., are potted and 

 plunged, keep them rather close for a few days till they begin to grow, after 

 which expose them to light and air. 



161 2. Pines in fruit will require water often, as the pots at this time will 

 be fuller of roots than earlier in the season. Syi'inge well each ; warm, and 

 close the house afterwards. The pines for winter fruiting will now be in 

 bloom, and while such is the case be careful to keep the syringe from the 

 fiowers. 



1613. Peaches. — As the houses ai"e cleared of fruit, the trees should be gone 

 over, and the wood not required for fruit next season should be cut away : 

 tie the remaining shoots neatly in, without injuring the leaves, removing the 



2 L 2 



