Book I. PINERY. — NURSING DEPARTMENT. 519 



2739. Abercrombie is more definite : "The artificial heat in the nursing-pit is 55? for the minimum. 

 This will keep the plants, in winter, secured from a check, and a few degrees above a dormant state. It is 

 enough to aim at this minimum, when dung-heat is employed ; for as its decline is never abrupt, there is no 

 danger in going pretty close to the lowest extreme. When fire-heat is applied, it is better to aim at 60°, 

 as the charge in the flues is more liable to fluctuate suddenly. The maximum artificial heat, in winter, 

 need not go beyond 65° : but as the season for excitement advances, this becomes the minimum. When the 

 plants are growing vigorously in autumn, or spring, the artificial maximum is 70°. In winter, the maxi- 

 mum, with the aid of sunshine, should not be allowed to rise higher than 70°, because the benefit of airing 

 would be lost : in summer, the maximum, under the effect of strong sunshine, may rise to 85° ; to keep it 

 down to this, give, in July and August, the benefit of air freely." 



2731 M'Phail says, " The heat of the air in the nursing-pit, exclusive of sun-heat, is not required to be 

 greater than from 60 6 to 65°." But at first planting of crowns and suckers, he gives them " a great heat 

 and no air till they begin to grow." (Gard. Rem. 81. 319.) 



2732. Nicol directs the temperature o<the nursing-pit in January with fire-heat, to be kept, as near as 

 possible, to 65°, mornings and evenings ; and in sunshine, on good days, it may be allowed to rise about 

 70°. In March, from 70° to 80°, and after newly potting and plunging unstruck crowns and suckers, to 80° 

 or 85°. 



2733. Covering at nights. One great advantage of growing pines in pits is, that they 

 may easily be covered with mats, or by other means, in winter. Abercrombie considers 

 covering not positively indispensable to flued pits, in which the minimum degree of 

 lire-heat is regularly maintained ; but it will add to the security of the plants, and 

 admit of some retrenchments in fuel, if some warmer screen, in addition to that of the 

 glass, is applied at night, during all the season when frost prevails, or may be expected. 

 For this purpose, provide either double mats, or a strong canvass cover. The latter is 

 commodious, because it can be mounted on rollers, and let down at will, or drawn up 

 under a weather-board. Remove the covering at sunrise, that the essential benefit may 

 not be obstructed. 



2734. M'Phail covers his pits during the colder months. In January, he " covered up about three or 

 four o'clock in the afternoon, and uncovered in the morning about eight or nine. In very cold weather, 

 it may be necessary, sometimes, not to uncover them in the day-time, only as far as to give them a little 

 light." 



2735. Nicol says, " The pit should be carefully covered up soon after sunset every evening, either with 

 double mats, or with a proper thick canvass cover, made on purpose for it, and mounted on rollers. The 

 cover should be removed by sunrise in the morning, and should never be kept on through the day, except 

 occasionally, in verv severe weather. For if all the light possible be not admitted to the plants, they lose 

 color, and become sickly. By using a proper cover, however, in the night, and only in very severe weather 

 in the day, at particular times, a considerable deal of fuel may be saved." 



2736. Griffin, Baldwin, and Weeks offer nothing on covering any description of pine frame or pit. 



2737. Air. When the weather is warm, Speechly admits " a great deal of air" to 

 nurse-plants. Having potted unstruck offsets, Abercrombie admits little or no air until 

 the plants begin to grow ; but as soon as the leaves show that the root has struck, he 

 gives plenty of air, in order to make the leaves expand, and the entire plant robust. 

 (Pr. G. p. 628.) Speaking of the winter treatment of pines, M'Phail says, " Admit 

 air in fine days into every place where pine-plants are." In warm summer weather, he 

 admits some all night. (G. Rem. p. 142.) 



2738. Nicol says, " Air should be admitted to the nursing-pit every good day to a certain extent ; 

 dividing the quantity admitted equally, that there may be a regular circulation in all parts of the pit Even 

 in hard frost, when the sun shines, two or three of the lights should be slipped down, to let the rarefied air 

 escape at top." After potting unrooted offsets, he gives no air till the heat begins to rise in the bark-bed ; 

 but " as the plants take on growths, it must be given in larger portions, especially in sunshine, so as to 

 keep down the thermometer to 85° or 80°." Griffin gives air at all favorable opportunities. Baldwin from 

 the back and ends, but not from the roof, either in summer or winter. 



2739. Watering the nursing-pit. Speechly waters offsets over the leaves after they 

 have begun to strike, but gives to all pines much less water in a moist than a dry season, 

 depending on the humidity of the air. (Tr. on Pine, p. 37.) He waters once a week or 

 fortnight in September and October, and then leaves off till the middle or end of 

 January, depending on the moisture of the tan, and the state of inaction of the plants. 

 In frosty weather, he sometimes plunges the pots so deep in the tan that their rims 

 may be covered two or three inches in order to give heat, and prevent the surface of 

 the mould from becoming too dry. In March, he waters once in a week or ten days, 

 and advances to twice a week in summer. (Tr. on Pine, p. 47.) 



2740 Abercrombie, after planting crowns and suckers, gives no water till " the heat of the bark has 

 risen and the plants show signs of striking. Then water moderately at the root ; but give none over the 

 herb until the heart-leaves begin to grow. Meanwhile repeat watering at the root every four days. 

 After the plant is established, water freely at the root, and give sprinklings over the leaves from a fine 



2741. M'Phail says, " No certain rule can be laid down for the exact quantity of water that must be 

 given to the pine-apple plant, or how often ; nor is it necessary to be particular. These and many other 

 matters must be left to the gardener who has the care of the plants." In July, " besides watering the 

 earth in the pots in which the roots of the plants grow, when it begins to get dry, the leaves and fruit 

 should be watered now and then, till they are all wetted, with clean water out of a fine- rosed pot f the 

 water should be as warm as the medium heat of the air in the house. The best time to water over the 

 leaves, is about eight o'clock in the morning, or about four in the afternoon ; though it will do them no 

 harm to water them at any time of the day, if you keep the air in the house sweet, and up to a heat 

 strong enough for the growth of the pine-plant. The plants in this month will want water about once a 

 week, and if the weather be hot, perhaps oftener. However, it is rare that pine-apple plants require 

 water oftener than twice a week." 



2742. Nicol says, nurse-plants require verv little water in winter ; " perhaps a little only once in eight 



L 1 4 



