THE PINE APPLE. 5J 



son, and against nature, to force a tropical plant in 

 this climate in a cold dark season, such as gener- 

 ally happens here in the months of November and 

 December ; and plants so treated will in time show 

 the injury done them : if large plants for fruiting, 

 they generally show very small fruit-buds with weak 

 stems ; and, if small plants, they seldom make 

 much progress in the beginning of the next sum- 

 mer. 



As the length of the days, and power of the sun 

 increases, the plants will begin to grow, and from 

 that time it will be absolutely necessary to keep 

 them in a regular growing state ; for if young 

 plants receive a check afterwards, it generally 

 causes many of them to go into fruit. From the 

 time they begin to grow they will demand a little 

 water : once in a week or ten days, as the weather 

 may prove more or less favourable, will be suffi- 

 cient till the middle of March, which is the most 

 eligible season to shift them in their pots. If that 

 work is done sooner, it will prevent the plants from 

 striking freely ; and if deferred longer, it will check 

 them in their summer's growth. 



In this shifting I always shake off the whole of 

 the ball of earth, and cut off all the roots that are 

 of a black colour, carefully preserving such only as 

 are white and strong. I then put such plants as 

 are intended to fruit the next season into second- 

 sized pots with fresh mould entire. 



The bed at this time should be renewed with a 

 Jittle fresh tan, in order to promote its heating, and 



