Book I. ARTIFICIAL HEAT. 515 



(and are then what gardeners term runners) ; on the contrary, where plants are put in a strong rich soil, 

 they will continue to grow, and not fruit even at a proper season : therefore, from the nature of the soil 

 from whence the sward was taken, the quantity of sand used must be proportioned : when the loam is 

 not strong, sand will be unnecessary in the compost for young plants." 



2701. Abercrombie's compost for the pineapple "is formed of the following articles: 1. vegetable 

 mould; 2. the top-spit earth from an upland pasture, loamy, friable, and well reduced ; 3. hard-fed dung, 

 rotten and mellowed by at least a year's preparation ; 4. small, pearly river-gravel ; 5. white sea-sand ; 

 6. shell-marl. If no vegetable mould has been provided, light rich earth, from a fallowed part of the 

 kitchen-garden, may be substituted : there is no difference of any account between one and the other, 

 further than this : the vegetable mould is sure to be virgin earth, from which no aliment has been ex- 

 tracted ; the mould from the kitchen-garden, however you may trench, and rest, and enrich it, cannot but 

 contain many particles which have given out their fertilising qualities to previous crops. Dung perfectly 

 decomposed comes to the same thing as vegetable mould; therefore that one of them which is most at- 

 tainable, or best prepared, may fitly serve instead of the other. Of the first three take equal quantities ; 

 making three fourths of the intended compost. Constitute the remaining fourth thus : let river-gravel 

 and shell-marl furnish each a twelfth part. The small gravel is to afford something for the roots to lay 

 hold of; the sea-sand, to promote lightness and dryness ; the shell-marl, the better to support the growth 

 of fibres and integuments and parts not pulpy. Mix with the whole a fortieth part soot, to offend and 

 repel worms. Incorporate the ingredients fully ; and turn the heap two or three times before using it." 



2702. The soil for the pine-apple, recommended by M'Phail, " is any sort of rich earth taken from a compart- 

 ment of the kitchen-garden, or fresh sandy loam taken from a common, long pastured with sheep, &c. If 

 the earth be not of a rich sandy quality, of darkish color, it should be mixed well with some perfectly 

 rotten dung and sand, and if a little vegetable mould is put among it, it will do it good, and also a little 

 soot Though pine-plants will grow in earth of the strongest texture, yet I have found by experience 

 that they grow most freely in good sandy loam not of a binding quality." 



2703. The soil for the pine, used by Nicol. " In this, vegetable mould being a chief ingredient, a stock of it 

 should be provided wherever the culture of the pine is followed. The kind to be used here is that from 

 decayed tree-leaves, and those of the oak are to be preferred ; but when a sufficient quantity of them 

 cannot be had, a mixture with those of the ash, elm, birch, sycamore, &c, or indeed any that are not 

 resinous, will answer very well. In autumn, immediately as the leaves fall, let them be gathered, and be 

 thrown together into an heap ; and let just as much light earth be thrown over them as will prevent them 

 from being blown abroad by the wind. In this state let them lie till May, and then turn them over and 

 mix them well. They will be rendered into mould fit for use by the next spring ; but from bits of sticks, &c. 

 among them, they will require to be sifted before using. Strong brown loam is the next article. This 

 should consist of the sward of a pasture, if possible ; which should, previous to using, be well reduced, by 

 exposing it a whole year to the action of the weather. Pigeon-dung, also, that has lain at least two whole 

 years in a heap, has been frequently turned, and well exposed to the weather, is to be used. Likewise 

 shell-marl. And, lastly, sea or river gravel, which should be sifted, and kept in a dry place ; such part of 

 it as is about the size of" marrowfat peas is to be used. This is the proportion : for crowns and suckers, 

 entire vegetable mould, with a little gravel at bottom, to strike in ; afterwards, three fourths vegetable 

 mould, and one fourth loam, mixed with about a twentieth part gravel, and two inches entire gravel at 

 bottom, till about a year old. For year-olds, and till shifted into fruiting-pots, one half vegetable mould, 

 one half loam; to which add a twentieth part gravel, and as much shell-marl, with three inches clean 

 gravel at bottom. For fruiting plants, one half loam, a fourth part vegetable mould, and a fourth part 

 pigeon-dung ; to which add marl and gravel as above, and lay three or four inches of clean gravel at 

 bottom. I he above compositions are what I formerly used for pine-plants with much success ; and are 

 what may be reckoned good medium soils for the production of pine-apples." 



2704. Griffin's pine-apple soil is free from many different strange ingredients for composts recommended 

 by others ; for after " numerous experiments made with mixtures of deer's, sheep's, pigeons', hens', and 

 rotten stable-dung, with soot, and other manures, in various proportions and combinations with fresh 

 soil of different qualities from pastures and waste lands, I can venture with confidence to recommend the 

 following : Procure from a pasture, or waste land, a quantity of brown, rich, loamy earth, if of a reddish 

 color the better, but of a fattish mouldy temperature ; that by squeezing a handful of it together, and 

 opening your hand, it will readily fall apart again : be cautious not to go deeper than you find it of that 

 pliable texture ; likewise procure, if possible, a quantity of deer's dung : if none can be conveniently got, 

 sheep's dung will do, and a quantity of swine's dung. Let the above three sorts be brought to some con- 

 venient place, and laid up in three different heaps ridge-ways, for at least six months ; and then mix 

 them in the following manner, covering the dung with a little soil before it is mixed : four wheelbarrows 

 of the above earth ; one barrow of sheep's dung, and two barrows of swine's dung. This composition," 

 he adds, " if carefully and properly prepared, will answer every purpose for the growth of pine-plants of 

 every age and kind. It is necessary that it should remain a year before applied to use, that it may receive 

 the advantage of the summer's sun and winter's frost ; and it need not be screened or sifted before using, 

 but only well broken with the hands and spade, as when finely sifted it becomes too compact for the roots 

 of the plants." (Tr. on the Pine-apple, p. 26.) 



2705. Baldwin's soil for the pine-apple is still more simple than Griffin's. " From old pasture or meadow 

 ground strip off the turf, and dig to the depth of six or eight inches, according to the goodness of the soil ; 

 draw the whole together to some convenient place, and mix it with one half of good rotten dung ; fre- 

 quently turn it over for twelve months, and it will be fit for use. This is the only compost-dung for 

 young and old plants." (Cult, of Ananas, p. 8.) Weeks's soil agrees with Baldwin's: he takes unex- 

 hausted earth and some rotten dung, and gives them a twelve month's preparation, by turning and mixing 

 previously to using. (Forcer's Assistant, p. 50.) 



Subsect. 3. Artificial Heat. 



2706. Bottom heat. The pine, when originally introduced in England, was cultivated, 

 without bottom heat, on stages, like other succulents. Ingenuity, however, soon sug- 

 gested, and experience approved the advantage of the latter, first in preserving a moist 

 equable heat ; and, secondly, in preventing the plants from feeling so much as they other- 

 wise would any casual declension in the fire-heat, or sudden vicissitude in the temperature 

 or moisture of the external air. " Pines," Nicol observes, " do certainly not require 

 so strong a bottom heat as many keep them in ; yet there is something in a mild tan 

 heat, so congenial to their natures, that they thrive much better in pots plunged in a bark- 

 bed, if properly managed, than when planted out on a bed of earth that is heated, and 

 often scorched, by under flues." The tan or bark pit is therefore considered essential to 

 the pinery. 



2707. Bark-pits are filled with tan which has previously undergone a course of draining 

 and sweating. The heat thus produced, will last from three to six months, when it is 

 sifted and again put into a state of fermentation, by replacing the deficiency occasioned 



LI 2' 



