CHAP. IX VILLA GARDENING 365 



holding water, at the same time lifting the plants out of the tan 

 and ventilating freely — by, in short, giving a checlc. A short 

 course of this treatment will generally cause the fruit to start. 



In the treatment of the plants which have missed fruiting at 

 the proper period, a more drastic remedy is sometimes adopted. 

 It may occasionally happen, when too much moisture has been used 

 — accompanied, j^erhaps, by strong heat and deficient ventilation — 

 that the plants run too much to growth, and so become what arc 

 termed in gardener's phraseology "stags." Tliese are generally 

 unprofitable, as undue growth is often but " great cry and little 

 wool." But to do something with them, and so avoid a total loss, 

 it is best to cut them off" level with the top of the pot, or only 

 just a little beneath it. Trim off the bottom leaves, pot firmly in 

 rough soil, and iDluuge in a brisk bottom-heat. The majority of 

 plants so treated will soon push up fruits — not very large ones, 

 perhaps ; but still it is better to get a fruit of some kind oft" such 

 plants, and allow them to exhaust their powers before being 

 consigned to the rubbish heap. 



Management of Fruiting Plants. — As soon as the fruits 

 are shown, and pass into the flowering stage, the fruit stem will 

 need some means of support. If the fruit is a large one place a 

 strong stake on each side, and secure it about midway between them. 

 If small false suckers, counnouly designated "gills," start up 

 around the base of the fruit, they should be destroyed, for they 

 only weaken it. If ground suckers appear, they also should be 

 destroyed. Most Pine-growers have a long-handled tool with an 

 iron blade, fashioned like a spear, which is thrust into the heart of 

 the gill or sucker and twisted round ; this thoroughly destroys the 

 gill by stopping its growth. 



Planting Out. — As a rule, the plants are more under control 

 when in pots than if planted out. Occasionally remarkable success 

 follows the adoption of the planting-out system. But I think it is 

 better to keep plants in pots till they are fit for the fruiting-pit ; 

 then, if a nice genial bed is made, which is not likely to get too 

 hot, they should be planted in it 21 feet apart each way, i^ressing 

 the soil firmly roimd them. The same routine of syringing and 

 watering should be followed as if the plants had continued in 

 pots, though when planted out less water will be needed. In this 

 planting-out system, commonly called the Hamiltonian, the plants 

 are not pulled up when the fruits are cut ; but the suckers which 

 start up from the base are thinned out to two or three, which are 

 then earthed up, and in the course of time all these suckers will 

 bear fruits often of good size and fine quality. There are situations 

 where I think Pine growing might still bo made to pay — for 



