BOOK I. PINERY. FRUITING DEPARTMENT. 525 



2782. Abercrombie, from March to September, gives most water, " keeping the mould during this season 

 constantly a little moist." In the other months he diminishes the quantity according to the season and 

 circumstances of the temperature, plants, &c. He uses soft water at 75, and gives it through a tube 

 composed of jointed pieces, so that it may be shortened at will, to prevent its falling into the hearts of 

 the plants. He also steams the flues occasionally, and waters with drainings of the dunghill in the 

 growing season. (Pr. G. 627, 628.) 



2783. M'Phail says, " Of two evils, it is better to give pine-plants too little water than too much." He 

 gives little in the winter months, but more freely in summer. He sprinkles the leaves occasionally with clean 

 water, not less than 70 degrees warm, and shuts them down in the afternoon with a strong heat in the 

 house. He judges of the temperature of the water by taking a mouthful of it ; and if it feel neither hot 

 nor cold, it is in a good state, being upwards of 85 degrees. (Gard. Rent. 239.) " When you water your 

 pines, recollect that some sorts require less water than others ; the sorts called the queen and the sugar- 

 loaf require rather more water than those called Antigua, black Jamaica, and some others of the large- 

 growing sorts. In July succession pines require frequent waterings. It is a good sign to see plants 

 growing broad-leaved, and the water standing constantly in their hearts in the summer months, nor will 

 it hurt them at any time, if there be a sufficient degree of heat kept in the house. Water them 

 plentifully about once a-week all over their leaves with clean water, from 70 to 85 degrees warm. 

 The quantity of water pines require, depends somewhat on the condition of the tan in which the pots 

 are plunged. If the tan be in a dry state, and a strong heat in it, they will require more water than 

 when it is moist, and a less heat in it ; so that, in giving water, the person who manages them must be 

 able to conclude how often and what quantity of water the plants will need." (Gard. Rem.) 



2784. Nicol waters succession plants once in eight or ten days in January, the quantity moderate, and the 

 time the forenoon of good days. He gives a little more in February and March, till August, when " the 

 waterings are to be forthwith regular and moderate, as it is not intended to force the plants into much 

 growth, it being supposed that they are now very healthy and strong." In October he lessens and retracts 

 the waterings, and during winter waters very moderately once in four, five, or six days ; but at the root 

 only. (Kal. 429.) 



2785. Griffin waters moderately in winter, and more liberally in the growing season, from March till Oc- 

 tober ; want of water to keep the plants moist being one of the reasons of their premature fruiting. 



2786. Baldwin gives no water to the young suckers planted in the tan, from September till April ; but 

 after potting, waters two or three times a week during the summer, according as the temperature 

 may be. 



2787. Shading. " Succession pine-plants," Speechly observes, " do not make half 

 the progress in violent hot weather in the middle of summer, that they do later in the 

 season. In order to obviate the above inconveniencies, some persons cover their hot- 

 houses in the middle of the day, when the heat of the sun is violent, with bass mats 

 fastened to a rope, which may be moved up and down with great ease. But a better 

 mode, and which is frequently practised, is, to cover the glasses with a large net, which 

 admits the air to pass freely, and at the same time breaks the rays of the sun, and retards 

 their force, especially if the meshes of the net be not large. But if vines were judi- 

 ciously trained up to the rafters of the hot-house, there would be no need of either of the 

 last-mentioned coverings. The vines should be planted in the front of the hot-house, 

 and not more than one shoot trained to each rafter, part of which should be cut down to 

 the bottom of the rafters every season, by which means the roof of the hot-house may con- 

 stantly be kept thinly covered with young wood, and by having only one shoot to each 

 rafter, the vine-leaves will afford a kindly shade, and never incommode the pines ; for 

 the leaves fall, and the vines are pruned at a season when the hot-house most requires 

 sun." 



2788. Abercrombie only shades new-potted plants till they have struck root. He uses thin mats as in 

 the nursing.pit. (Pr. Gr. 629.) 



2789. M'Phail uses no screens or covers for shades, but supposes his succession plants grown in houses 

 in which vines are trained under the rafters. 



2790. Dressing tlie plants, &c. Most of the authors quoted agree in recommending 

 decayed or casually bruised leaves to be twisted off, if they are at the bottom of the 

 stem ; or such as grow on it carefully trimmed off with the knife. In the season of 

 free excited growth, Abercrombie says, " Midway between the times of shifting, take off 

 about two inches of the upper mould, and replace it by fresh compost." Remove all 

 fungi which grow out of the tan, and in general keep every part of the pinery at all 

 times clean and sweet. 



2791. Insects and Diseases. See General Directions. (SuusECT. 8.) 



SUBSECT. 7. Fruiting Department. 



2792. The culture of the fruiting department embraces much of the culture of the 

 nursing and succession pits : but little difference, for example, is made in temperature, 

 air, and watering, till the last stage of the maturation of the fruit. 



2793. Abercrombie observes " that the pine-apple can be carried even through the last stage without fire- 

 heat : but the fruiting-house is a department in which the aid of the furnace should least of all be 

 relinquished, unless some very great facilities for employing dung-heat, or some obstacles to the working 

 of a stove, attend the situation." This is frequently practised by nurserymen and market-gardeners, and 

 is quite practicable where abundance of dung for linings can be procured. 



2794. Speec/ilysays, " Both the growth and size of the pine depend much on the construction and condition 

 of the stove in which they are cultivated. In many places small stoves of a particular construction (m 

 the which the pines stand very near the glass) are erected solely for the purpose of fruitmg-houses. 

 These, from their being always kept up to a high degree of heat, are by gardeners usually termed 

 matters. When there is such conveniency, it is customary, when any pine-plants show fruit in the large 

 stoves, to remove such plants (especially the most promising) directly into the fruiting-house ; where, trom 

 the high degree of heat kept, they generally swell their fruit astonishingly." 



2795 Griffin's house corresponds nearly with the roaster or small house of Speechly ; but Baldwin's seems 



