P I N 



457 



PI N 



increase of wealth and luxury among ; should be placed in the same kind of 

 us, may ere long induce its culture un- earth, not damp, or they will be liable 

 der glass, in common with the grape, to be affected at the base with rot or 

 peach, &c., though the same necessity mildew. 



as in England does not exist — our; "Soil. — The pine will grow well in 

 proximity to the tropics enabling us, at any kind of turfy, rooty, well-sweetened 

 least on the seaboard, to obtain the pine pulverized soil, from heath soil to a 

 in tolerable perfection, and at a tithe of heavy clayey loam. I make choice of 



the cost of producing it ourselves; we, 

 however, insert the article on this fruit 

 as it stood in the original edition of this 

 work. 



I believe the most successful cultiva- 



a heathy turf when obtainable, with the 

 roots and its natural vegetation all with 

 it; never breaking it until at the pot- 

 ting bench, as the process of potting is 

 soini; on. Then we break the sods, 



tor of this fruit is Mr. Barnes, gardener which are mostly chosen about two or 

 to Lady Rolle, at Bicton, near Sidmouth, three inches in thickness, in such kind 

 and to that excellent horticulturist I am I of pieces as we can thrust into the pots, 

 indebted for the following detail of his putting in, as we proceed, some pieces 



latest system of culture : — 



of charcoal, always taking care to drain 



Varieties: — We cultivate the Queen the pots carefully, which is one of the 

 principally for fruiting at all seasons. I chief essentials. Our drainage is prin- 

 We also grow a few of the large black cipally coarse charcoal, averaging one- 

 kinds, which are all of easy culture, fourth of Lroken rubbly potsherds, 

 and may be grown to a very large size which are placed first round about the 

 indeed. We have of late grown the i bottom ; then, if it is a seven-inch pot, 

 Queen Pine from six to nearly eight for a sucker, the drainage averages two 

 pounds in weight, and those have been j inches at least ; and if fifteen or eight- 

 produced from plants of only a few een-inch pots, which are the largest 

 months' growth. The other varieties fruiting pots I make use of, the druin- 

 we cultivate are — the Russian Globe, age is employed in a coarser state, and 

 English Globe, Enville, Green Olive or about two inches more of it, and the 

 St. Vincent, Montserrat, Black Ja- | soil too is thrust into the pots rougher — 

 maica, Otaheite, Brown-leaved Sugar brambles, furze, bushes, heath, and 

 Loaf, and Black Antigua, only two or ' grass altogether — with no other kind of 

 three plants of each, and those we are ; manure, besides an occasional lump or 

 about reducing. All these varieties are handful of rubbly charcoal, merely to 

 of easy culture, and free swellers, ca- fill up some of the crevices. It is not 

 pable of being grown to a great weight. | rammed, that is to say, not pounded, or 

 To equal a Queen of six pounds weight jammed together in the same way pot- 

 they ought to be from ten to fourteen ting is too often done, but pushed down 

 pounds weight each fruit, but we only 1 as we proceed, quietly. Thus the soil 

 average them from six to ten pounds is really a whole body of drainage- 



weight. 



" Propagation. — I have practised in 

 my time various methods, but my pre- 

 sent mode is only by suckers. These 

 are pulled off immediately the fruit is 

 cut, and at once potted, no matter what 



there is no obstruction either to the 

 atmosphere or the water. I have no 

 particular time or season for shifting, 

 potting, or repotting — we do all these 

 at any season of the year, whenever we 

 fancy the plants seem to require it. 



season of the year it may be. Thus, as Never shift a plant, or repot, but twice 

 soon as a fruit is ripened, the plant is at the most. If it is a strong spring 

 lifted out, and another at once planted sucker, it gets with me but one potting 

 in its place. One sucker, or, perhaps, from the sucker pot to the fruiting pot. 

 two, are occasionally left, but not often. I have left otf altogether making use of 

 Those taken off are at once potted. By any kind of manure with the earth be- 

 this practice a constant succession of sides charcoal ; excepting to free-grow- 

 plants is kept up, and fruit of various ing plants occasionally we apply weak 

 ages. I never care •or the cromis, liquid manure — as clear as wine — al- 

 though, if taken off in due time, and ways applying it in a tepid state, and in 

 potted at once, in well sweetened dry the growing, warm part of the season, 

 pulverized earth, they will make equal- I To the succession plants we apply it 

 iy good plants. Of course the suckers | with the syringe or engine over the 



