THE PINE-APPLE. 19 



grown on a bed of leaves and tan, during these months 

 they ever require any water at the root. The tan in 

 which the pots are plunged is generally moist enough 

 for the maintenance of pine-roots in a healthy condi- 

 tion, and the soil in the pots is regulated as to moisture 

 at this season hy the state of the plunging material. 

 Where the bottom -heat is supplied with hot -water 

 pipes in air chambers or tanks, the plants may require 

 an occasional watering ; but with the bottom-heat that 

 I have named, the waterings required will be very few 

 indeed. Young stock is in very little danger of fruit- 

 ing prematurely from being kept rather dry, if all else 

 be right ; and in all other respects it is much the best 

 practice. 



When the thermometer rises to 65 a little air 

 should be put on, always at the highest point of the 

 pit or house. But, unless during a continuance of 

 dull damp weather, the temperature should not be 

 purposely raised in order to admit of giving air. In 

 most pineries there is a sufficient amount of circula- 

 tion going on in the atmosphere through the laps of 

 the glass and other chinks to render systematic air- 

 giving, with the low temperature and dry atmosphere 

 that I have recommended, unnecessary. It is there- 

 fore only during sunny days, when the heat is raised, 

 that air-giving must be carefully attended to during 

 the season of rest. 



Under ordinary circumstances this is the winter 

 treatment to be recommended as that which will give 

 succession plants in the most robust and healthy con- 

 dition in spring, and that can be grown into the very 

 best fruiting stock by the following autumn. Scarcity 

 of intermediate plants may, however, in certain cases, 

 render it desirable to considerably increase the size of 



