THE PINE- APPLE. 35 



treating of are termed fruiting plants, and under that 

 heading I will speak of their further treatment. 



FRUITING PLANTS. 



Eipe pines being required in the early part of June, 

 it will be necessary to set a quantity of Queens in 

 motion by the first of January, to succeed those which 

 are generally termed winter and spring fruiters, and 

 which will be treated of by-and-by. Queens are by 

 far the best variety to start at this season, with the 

 view of getting ripe fruit from them quickly to keep 

 up the succession after the winter fruiting varieties. 

 Yet for the sake of variety, and also to keep up as 

 long a succession as possible from the same lot of 

 plants, it is desirable to start a few of the later 

 varieties at the same time; but Queens should form 

 the great majority. 



Where bottom-heat is derived from leaves and tan, 

 the bed in the fruiting pinery should have fresh 

 material added to it, as formerly directed, to increase 

 the heat to from 85 to 90; but in doing this, very 

 particular attention must be paid to the state of the 

 bed, as over-much bottom-heat at this stage would 

 prove fatal to anything like success. The principal 

 part of the roots being at the bottom and round the 

 sides of the pots, they are now more than ever par- 

 ticularly liable to suffer from too much heat, and 

 great caution is necessary. Should there be any fear 

 about the over-heating of the bed after it is pre- 

 pared, it will be much safer to only half plunge the 

 pots at first, till it be certain that the heat will not 

 exceed 90. 



Those who have the more desirable and superior 



