Book I. PROPAGATION OF THE PINE-APPLE. 517 



nerally larger than crowns, and those produced near the middle of the stem, he consi- 

 ders the best. He does not, however, reject crowns ; but selects the largest, which he 

 says, when nine inches in circumference at their bottoms, equal any suckers. ( Treatise on 

 the Pine-Apple, 2d edit. 22.) Abercrombie says, " Suckers which rise from the extre- 

 mities of the roots, at a distance from the stem, though they have radical fibres, are apt to 

 to have ill-formed hearts. "With Speechly, he prefers stalk-suckers and strong crowns." 

 (Pract. Gard. 621.) Andrews uses suckers only, not from any objection to crowns, but 

 from the difficulty and trouble of getting them returned from the fruiterers, and the risk 

 of different kinds being mixed through the carelessness of servants. M'Phail, Nicol, 

 Griffin, and Baldwin, do not express any preference. 



2713. Separation of crowns and suckers. Speechly and Abercrombie concur in the following directions : 

 When the fruit is served to table, the crown is to be detached by a gentle twist, and returned to the gar- 

 dener, if it be wanted for a new plant Fruit-stalk suckers are taken off at the same period. Suckers at 

 the base of the herb are commonly fit for separation when the fruit is mature; though, if the stool be vi- 

 gorous, they may be left on for a month after the fruit is cut, the stool receiving plentiful waterings on 

 their account 'The fitness of a sucker to be removed is indicated, at the lower part of the leaves, by a 

 brownish tint there ; on the appearance of which, if the lower leaf be broken off, the sucker is easily dis- 

 planted by the. thumb." Speechly says, " Suckers cannot with safbty be taken from the plants, till they 

 are grown to the length of twelve or fourteen inches, when their bottoms will be hard, woody, and full of 

 small round knobs, which are the rudiments of the roots. It would endanger their breaking, if they were 

 to be taken off sooner. When the suckers are taken off, the operation should be performed with great 

 care, that neither plant nor sucker may be injured. To prevent which, one hand should be placed at the 

 bottom of the plant to keep it steady ; the other as near to the bottom of the sucker as conveniently can ; 

 after which, the sucker should be moved two or three times backwards and forwards in a sideway direc- 

 tion, and it will fall off with its bottom entire. Whereas, when a sucker is bent downwards immediately 

 from the plant, it frequently either breaks off in the stem, or splits at the bottom." Andrews allows the 

 suckers to remain on the parent plant till they have attained a large size ; sometimes even till they are fit 

 to occupy a large pot at once. 



2714. Season of separating crowns and suckers. Crowns and suckers taken off from the parent plant later 

 than October, should not be planted before the month of February or March ; for, in the winter time, pro- 

 bably, they would not strike root, but rot : they may be hung or laid in a dry part of the hot-house. Un- 

 matured young suckers and crowns should he uhplanted, till their natural juices be so exhausted that there 

 may be no danger of their rotting after being planted ; but if they are grown to such a size as to be easily 

 separated from the parent plant, they may be planted immediately. (Gard. Rem. 83.) 



2715. To generate suckers. If the old fruiting-plant offers only small bottom-suckers, or fails to furnish 

 any, you may bring out good suckers thus : Having waited till the fruit is cut, take the old plant in its pot 

 out of the bark-bed ; strip off the under leaves near the root, and with the knife cut away the leaves to 

 six inches from the bottom. Take out some of the stale mould from the pot, fill up with fresh, and give a 

 little water. Plunge the old plant into a bed with a good growing heat. Let the routine culture not be 

 neglected, and the old plants will soon send out good suckers. Allow these to grow till they are four 

 inches long, or more ; and on the signs of fitness, detach them. 



2716. Preparation of crowns or suckers. As soon as either crowns or suckers are detached, twist off some 

 of the leaves about the base ; the vacancy thus made at the bottom of the stem is to favor the emission 

 of roots. Pare the stump smooth ; then lay the intended plants on a shelf in a shaded part of the stove, 

 or of the green-h(rose, or of any dry apartment Let crowns and fruit offsets lie till the part that adhered 

 to the fruit is perfectly healed ; and root-suckers in the same manner, till the part which was united to the 

 old stock is become dry and firm. They will be fit to plant in five or six days. As to the prolonged period 

 for which they remain out of culture, pinc-plante have been kept six months without mould, in a mode- 

 rately warm dry state, and the only injury has been loss of time. Crowns or suckers coming oft" before Mi- 

 chaelmas should be planted, without anv unnecessary delay, to get established before the winter. When 

 late-fruiting plants do not afford offsets till after Michaelmas, it is best to keep them in a dormant state 

 during the months least favorable to artificial culture ; therefore, as you obtain these late offsets, hang 

 them up in the house, not too near the flues, to rest till March. Some think it necessary to dry, or win, 

 all crowns and suckers before potting them, and for that purpose lay them on the shelves, &c. of the stove 

 for a week or ten da vs. By this treatment, they certainly may be hurt, but cannot be improved, provided 

 they have been fullv" matured before being taken from off the fruit or stocks, and that these have previ- 

 ously had no water'for about ten days. They will succeed as well if planted the hour they are taken off, as 

 if treated in any other way whatever ; and I only advise their being laid aside as above, as being a matter 

 of conveniency. (Xicol.) 



2717. Planting crowns and suckers. Nicol plants his suckers in summer and autumn as the fruit is ga- 

 thered, sticking them into the front part of the bark-bed, "where they will strike root as freely as any 

 where. - If a large proportion of the crop come off early, the crowns and suckers may be potted at once, 

 and plunged into the nursing-pit ; or they may be twisted from off the stocks, and may be laid by, in a dry 

 shed or loft for a few davs, till the other operations in the pinery be performed, and the nursery-pit be 

 ready to receive them and the crowns (collected as the fruit have been gathered) ; which, if rooted, may 

 be potted, and may be placed for the above time, either in a frame, or in a forcing-house of any kind, as 

 they will sustain no injury, though out of the bark-bed for so short a time. Such crowns as have not struck 

 root, may be laid aside w'ith the suckers." Gritfin generally plants his crowns in the bark till they have 

 struck root ; but the suckers he pots at once, unless they are small and green at bottom, when he treats 

 them like the crowns. Baldwin says, " Towards the end of September, take off the suckers from the 

 fruiting-plants, and lay them in any warm place for about three days ; then strip off a few of their bottom 

 leaves, and thev will be ready for planting. Plant them in the old tan, on the surface of the bed, without 

 pots, about four or five inches apart, according to the size of the plants ; observing, that the tallest be 

 placed at the back of the frame, and the shortest in the front. In this state let them remain till the fol- 

 lowing April." iCuIt. ofAnan. p. 13.) Andrews pots his suckers in September, and plunges them ma bark- 

 bed during the winter. 



Subsect. 5. Of rearing Hie Pine apple in the Xursing Department. 



2718. The rearing of the pine-apple requiring different modes of treatment at different 

 stages of its progress to maturity, established practice has adopted three houses or 

 pits, through each of which the plants pass in succession. They are usually named 

 the nursing, succession, and fruiting houses, or pits. The nursing-pit is used for bringing 

 on crowns and suckers until they are established in growth, and for this purpose they ge- 

 nerally remain there one vear. 



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