THE PINE APPLE. 99 



ripening, and by the force of fresh earth, make 

 them swell their fruit larger than they otherwise 

 would have done. I have thus new-potted plants, 

 even in flower, with very much success, and have 

 swelled the fruit to a size far beyond my expecta- 

 tions ; of which fact any one may easily satisfy 

 himself, by fresh-potting a few plants, and compar- 

 ing their progress with others treated in the ordi- 

 nary way. Let the plants be re-plunged to the 

 brim as before, keeping the pots quite level. If the 

 plants be full-sized, and strong, they will require 

 to be set at about twenty inches apart from centre 

 to centre, on a medium. But they should be sort- 

 ed ; the smallest placed in front, and the largest 

 at back, as in arranging plants on a stage, that they 

 may have an equal share of sun and light. As soon 

 as re-placed in the bark-bed, let them have a little 

 water, to settle the earth about their roots." In 

 May he again top-dresses, " reducing an inch or 

 two of the earth from off the surface, and adding 

 some fresh mould, which will invigorate the plants, 

 cause them to push surface radicles, and so keep 

 them the more firm and steady. This needs not be 

 done, however, to plants whose fruit are nearly 

 ripe ; but chiefly to healthy plants new shown in 

 flower, past the flower, or with the fruit about half 

 grown. And with respect to any that are un- 

 healthy, and whose fruit are less than half grown, 

 do not hesitate to shift them, shaking them out, 

 trimming their roots, and retaining only healthy 

 fibres. This is a very great improvement in the 



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