146 METHOD OF RAISING 



allowed to remain on the stems of the old plants 

 until the fruit is ripe and removed, and for two 

 or three weeks after to give them strength, un- 

 less any of them are grown very strong, in 

 which case they should be removed, to prevent 

 them from impoverishing the fruit, and prevent 

 it swelling to the size it otherwise would. 

 Although the suckers and crowns from the old 

 fruiting plants are to be preferred, the plants 

 may sometimes be raised, if required, from the 

 succession pines, when they happen to run to 

 fruit prior to their proper growth. It will, 

 therefore, be necessary to procure a sufficient 

 quantity of suckers and crowns during their 

 fruiting season, to keep up a regular succession 

 for fruiting annually, as the old plants that do 

 not decay, are not to be preferred for fruiting 

 generally ; and when they are preserved, a strong 

 sucker only, is allowed to remain on the old 

 plant, which will sometimes grow large, and 

 fruit the following year. 



After the crowns and suckers have been detach- 

 ed from the fruit and stems, as before described, 

 should they be in a very soft succulent state, 



