PINEAPPLES IN POTS. 



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PINEAPPLES IN POTS. 



be no question that this is the cheapest 

 most rapid, and most profitable system of 

 management. 



Making New Beds, &c. When the 

 suckers are thoroughly rooted (which is 

 often the case before the fruit is cut), and 

 the fruit is cut, remove the stools, separate 

 the suckers, make a new bed, and plant 

 the latter singly, as at the beginning. 

 Whatever plan be adopted, it will often 

 be necessary to pot quantities of the best 

 suckers to keep up a good stock, form new 

 beds, &c. When the beds get too thick, 

 or the soil gets exhausted, begin as at the 

 beginning. 



Pineapples in Pots. 



Potting Season. In growing pines in 

 pots there will generally be two potting 

 seasons March, and June or July. Ten- 

 or 12-inch pots will fruit the largest plants, 

 and as soon as the first are cut, and the 

 suckers large enough for removal, the stools 

 may be destroyed. Pots of the largest size 

 are recommended for pines, 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 furnished 

 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 85 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 grow- 

 ing in pots, they may be turned out into the 

 beds whenever the bottom heat is right ; a 

 few of the outside shoots being liberated, 

 and the soil carefully packed round the 

 bails 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 abundance 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 a 

 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. 



Importance of Leaves. In all work 

 among pines, remember their leaves are 

 their very life. Appearance also requires 

 that they should never be bruised or in- 

 jured in the least. Practice alone can 

 enable one to perform the necessary opera- 

 tions without bruising or breaking the 

 foliage. The roots, too, must be carefully 

 preserved. The facility with which pines 

 emit roots up the stems made the old gar- 

 deners reckless about those they already 

 possessed : hence the wholesale disrooting 

 once so common. But the emission of 

 fresh roots does not necessarily supersede 

 the use of those already formed. Neither 

 do pine-roots die naturally annually ; the 

 longer they can be preserved the better. 

 The more mouths, provided there is food 

 to fill them all, the more nourishment and 

 strength will be imparted. It is the busi- 

 ness of the cultivator to supply this food in 

 a liquid state when and where it is wanted. 

 Healthy roots and leaves convert it intc 

 pine fruit ; consequently, the greater the 



