Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 427 



will then have run nearly over the surface of the bed, and 

 consequently the plants will require potting. Plant in pots of 

 about six inches in diameter for the largest plants, and for the 

 smaller in proportion. Leave on all the roots, and strip off 

 three or four of the bottom leaves. Use deep potting, which 

 is a great advantage to pine plants in all stages of their growth. 

 When the potting is finished and the plants are set in the pit, 

 shut the lights down close, letting them remain so from four 

 to eight days, shading in hot sunshine. 



Keep the air to 70 for the first three weeks; in that time 

 the plants will be well rooted, and will then require free ad- 

 mission of air, and watering about twice a week, as well as 

 frequent sprinklings with the engine in hot dry weather. The 

 top heat must then be maintained, with dung linings, to 

 65°, and the lights must be covered with mats at night, till the 

 summer heat makes it unnecessary, — this will be in the month 

 of June. At that time the plants will require fresh potting 

 into pots two sizes larger than the last. There will be no 

 fresh tan wanted at this season for the bed ; turning it over 

 one fork deep, to level the surface, is all that will be necessary. 

 Pot the plants with balls entire, using the mould at this and 

 every other potting in as rough a state as possible. 



About the middle of August or September the plants will 

 require potting in their fruiting pots, from twelve to four- 

 teen inches in diameter. Pot the plants with balls entire, and 

 deep in the pots, stripping off a few of the bottom leaves to let 

 them push out fresh roots. In setting the pots give plenty of 

 room to the plants, for they will make considerable progress 

 after this potting. When the setting is finished give a little 

 water to settle the mould : the plants will not require any more 

 for ten days or a fortnight after. Keep the house rather warm, 

 to make them root freely, and then water whenever they ap- 

 pear dry, which is the best criterion to go by in the autumn 

 and winter months. Give plenty of air whenever the weather 

 permits, and sprinkle with water when the bark bed and house 

 become dry. 



Begin fire heat when the internal heat of the house in the 

 morning falls below 60°, keeping between that and 65° to the 

 middle of January, when a rise of 5° will be necessary. In 

 April fork the bed over two foi'ks deep, adding a little fresh 

 tan quite at the bottom of the pit, and then level the surface. 

 Before the plants are replaced, three or four of their bottom 

 leaves should be stripped off, and a little of the old mould 

 taken from the surface of the pots, and replaced with fresh 

 mould, raised quite to the tops of the pots When the plants 



Vol. I. No. 4. g g 



