34 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



can be kept in a condition much more congenial to 

 pines than when more fire-heat is necessary. For 

 although a damp atmosphere, which leads to an 

 accumulation of moisture and to drip, is by all 

 means to be avoided at this season, yet a parch- 

 ingly dry atmosphere produced by highly - heated 

 pipes is very prejudicial, and cannot well be counter- 

 acted in winter without producing the opposite evil. 

 Hence the benefit of covering the glass at night. 

 When, however, it becomes necessary to apply mois- 

 ture to counteract the too drying effects of hard firing, 

 the best way is to sprinkle the paths instead of the 

 pipes, because the moisture will be carried more 

 gradually into the atmosphere, and is therefore not 

 so likely to accumulate and drop into the centres of 

 the plants, which, as all pine-growers have doubtless 

 found out, is attended with spotted leaves, and not 

 unfrequently deformed fruit. 



Winter treatment the reverse of what I have here 

 recommended a high temperature and more water at 

 the root and in the air causes the plants to grow all 

 winter ; and from want of light and air they become 

 drawn and weakly in fact, worthless, or probably 

 some of them may start at the dead of winter, when, 

 particularly in the case of Queens, there is very little 

 chance of their blooming and setting properly, and will 

 either way be worthless. An instance of such treat- 

 ment once came under my notice, when, instead of a 

 low temperature, V5 of heat was kept up during the 

 whole resting season, with moisture in abundance. 

 The consequence was, that when the time for starting 

 them came round they were tall, tender, and only fit 

 for the waste-heap. 



Pine plants arrived at the stage I have been now 



