THE PINE APPLE. 181 



Was cut from the old plant, and seven months from 

 the time the sucker was planted. The fruit so 

 produced, though, as may be expected, not of the 

 largest description, I have invariably found to be 

 richer and higher flavoured than that grown on older 

 plants. The suckers of inferior strength will not 

 show fruit in the same season, but in the following 

 they will yield good fruit, and strong suckers for a 

 succeeding year's supply. Those suckers are to 

 be preferred which are produced on plants that 

 have ripened their fruit in November, for those 

 taken from plants whose fruit is cut in August, or 

 earlier, are apt to show fruit in January or Febru- 

 ary, while yet remaining on the mother-plant. But 

 whenever this happens, the sucker should be 

 broken off immediately upon being perceived, and 

 planted in a pot so as to form a root of its own, to 

 maintain its fruit." Hort. Trans, iv. 392. 



This experiment shows what can be done ; 

 though it must be obvious that a considerable part 

 of the saving in time is lost by the small size of the 

 fruit. Mr. Baldwin, in our opinion, has hit on the 

 proper use of this mode, the principle of which, as 

 already observed, consists in the employment of 

 the -otherwise lost vigour of the old stock. He 

 contrives to produce tolerably sized fruit, and 

 to have such a degree of vigour in his suckers, as 

 that they are able, in their turn, to throw out 

 other vigorous suckers to succeed them. In aid 

 of this, he often earths up the old stock, so as to 

 cover the lower end of the sucker ; and partially 

 wrenching it off, he, by these means, obtains for it 



