FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 169 
to leaf and did not fruit well. Some think heavy clay is the best. 
It will be found, however, that where any good pine-growing is 
done, the soil is of rather a light nature and fibrous. The soil I 
prefer for pines is an old fibrous sod, neither too light nor too 
heavy, and to each barrowful of soil I add an eight-inch potful of 
bone-meal. This is really all the mixture that is required for 
pines. If the soil is clay, or of a heavy retentive nature, fine 
lime-rubbish must be added to keep the soil open. 
Suckers and crowns are the two sources from which pine- 
plants are raised. The crowns are only taken when suckers 
“cannot be had. Suckers make far the strongest and best plants. 
There is never any difficulty getting plenty suckers from Queen- 
pines in summer and autumn, but there is often a difficulty in 
getting enough suckers from smooth Cayennes. With the latter 
it will be found necessary often to put the old stools, after the 
fruit is cut, in some warm pit to grow and produce suckers. 
It is a great mistake to remove the suckers from the old plants 
before they have grown to a good size; good suckers always 
make the best and quickest plants. ; 
I shall treat of Queen-pine suckers first. Plenty of them 
should be had in August and September. Cut them clean at the 
base and remove the bottom leaves, Six-inch pots will be large 
enough for the most of them, seven or eight inch may be used for 
larger suckers. The pots should be well cleaned and crocked ; 
the suckers should be placed well down in the pot ; the soil, not 
of too wet and pasty a nature, should be firmed well with a 
blunt stick, leaving sufficient room under the rim of the pot to 
hold water. The pots should then be plunged in a handy suc- 
cession pit. with bottom-heat of go°. Put them wide enough 
apart to prevent drawing and to ensure the essential stubby 
growth from the first. Shading and dewing will be necessary 
until they have made roots, after that discontinue shading and 
give enough water to water the whole ball.. Give a good deal 
of air at this time to make them sturdy and prepared for winter. 
The temperature, say in September, may be 65°, but as November 
approaches reduce to 55° to 60° according to weather ; the bottom- 
heat in winter should also be reduced ; 75° keeps the roots nice 
and healthy. 
These rooted suckers should now from the middle of November 
