B R O 



B R O 



occasionally, to receive the water from the 

 watering-pot. By this means water is capable 

 of being conveyed to the plants separately 

 in any proportion without any being poured 

 into the hearts of them, and without wetting 

 the bark-beds more than is necessary to moisten 

 the earth in the pots, &c. It is particularly appli- 

 cable in winter, as well as in the spring, during 

 the bloom of the fruiting plants. 



In winter it may sometimes be proper to 

 have some convenience in the stove to preserve 

 water in, that it may be raised in its heat a 

 little, previous to watering the plants with it. 



The application of steam has lately been at- 

 tempted in the raising of this sort of fruit, and, 

 from the trials of Mr. Bastard, with considerable 

 success; as, from his statements detailed in the 

 (37th vol. of the Philosophical Transactions, it 

 would seem that both the size and flavour of the 

 fruit were greatly increased by placing the plants 

 in their pots in shallow pans kept constantly filled 

 with water on shelves, so as nearly to touch the 

 Siass on the back side of the hothouse, where 

 the heat is constantly the greatest. The same 

 vtfects have likewise been produced by setting 

 them in leaden cisterns placed over the back 

 Hues of hothouses. It is, however, remarked 

 by the author of the Philosophy of Gardening, 

 that the use of the steam of boiling water in this 

 way requires much attention. It is usually con- 

 veved through small apertures which pass through 

 a brick arch, somewhat in the manner of the 

 floor of the malt-kiln, where the water boils be- 

 neath the beds of bark, being occasionally ad- 

 mitted into the room above, supplying in this 

 way heat and moisture to the beds as well as the 

 air of the house. See Steam and Hothouse. 



Some have attempted the culture of the pine- 

 apple without the assistance of hot-houses and 

 stoves constructed for the purpose, simply by 

 means of common deep garden frames, and dung 

 hot-beds aided by occasional linings, in order 

 to promote and keep up a regular degree of heat ; 

 but this is a very imperfect method, and seldom 

 attended with much success. 



The injuries which these plants arc ex- 

 posed to during their growth, are chiefly from 

 br.iwn and white scaly insects of the coccus tribe, 

 and the ant. But, as the last is seldom seen if 

 the former are not present, Mr. Nicol concludes 

 that their presence is in consequence of that of 

 the coccus, on which they seem to feed. And 

 the brown sealed insect is conceived to be no 

 further injurious to the plants, than by dirtying 

 them. But the white scaled, or bug, is of the 

 most mischievous nature to the plants, as 

 where it abounds they never succeed well. 



In order to remove them, Mr. Nicol found the 



following method answer perfectly in a case 

 where the plants were greatly affected. Having 

 prepared a strong heat tor the plants in the bark- 

 bed of the nursing-pit, he shook the plants out 

 of the pots, and cut every fibre from their roots, 

 (whereby they were rendered the same as suckers 

 at first,)' not excepting those that were in fruit, 

 some of which were just in flower; dipped them 

 into a liquor, prepared by boiling two pounds 

 of soft soap and flowers of sulphur, with one 

 pound of roll tobacco, and two ounces of mix 

 vomica, in eight gallons of water to six, and 

 then put them into pots of six inches diameter, 

 and plunged them to the brim, keeping up a fire 

 heat to about 75 degrees: gave them but little 

 air, shading them in sunshine; and afterwards 

 afforded them plentiful waterings over head, 

 with the same mixture reduced to about half its 

 former strength. Me continued this treatment 

 for two whole months; at the end of which 

 he again shook out their roots, and washed the 

 whole plants in pure water; put them into 

 fresh pots of eight inches diameter, and re- 

 plunged them into a kindly heat in another nur- 

 sing pit, treating them in all respects as any 

 other plants. He never saw a vestige of the 

 bug afterwards. A few of those plants that 

 were shown, however, died; but the others, he 

 observes, produced such fruit as might be ex- 

 pected from plants of such sizes of any other 

 kind. 



Time of Maturation and Cutting the Fru'tt. — 

 The common season for the ripening of this 

 sort of fruit is from June till September, but 

 from August to the end of the latter of these 

 months is the principal period of their becoming 

 in the greatest perfection. Mr. Nicol remarks 

 that the plants in some kinds put forth suckers 

 at the base of the fruit; which should be rubbed 

 off as they appear. Others put forth suckers 

 from the root ; and, as these are not proper to 

 be taken into the stock, they should also be 

 twisted off, or otherwise destroyed, as they 

 appear. It is added, that if a plant were to be 

 divested of all its suckers, the fruit would 

 grow to a much larger size in consequence; 

 but, as this would ultimately tend to the extir- 

 pation of the whole stock, it is by no means 

 advisable. It is proper, however, to reduce 

 the number of suckers on the plant to two or 

 three at most, which should be done in the 

 May shifting; and as the suckers are about half 

 grown at that time, the cultivator is enabled to 

 choose the best, and at the same time to easily 

 destroy the others bv breaking out their hearts. 

 Where the increase' of the stock is the object, 

 all suckers, even of the roots, should be encou- 

 raged in their growth. 



