THE PINE- APPLE. 21 



They should not be shifted till roots have formed them- 

 selves round the ball of soil sufficient to keep it to- 

 gether. On the other hand, they should not be allowed 

 to stand unshifted till they become anything like pot- 

 bound. If the former condition is not arrived at before 

 the middle or end of February, the operation of shifting 

 should be deferred, and the plants gently excited into 

 action by increasing the night temperature to 60°, with 

 10° more with sun-heat by day. Keep the bottom-heat 

 at 85°, and increase the moisture both in the soil and 

 air, till their roots are in the condition I have named. 

 Should they have become pot-bound, which sometimes 

 occurs in the case of strong suckers, especially when in 

 the smaller-sized pots, the balls should be partially 

 broken up with the hand, and the roots disentangled as 

 much as possible. Plants with hard matted balls 

 seldom start freely into growth, and are liable to start 

 prematurely into fruit. The best way is to keep a 

 watchful eye on young stock and shift them the first 

 opportunity after they are sufficiently rooted. 



About a week before the shifting is performed the 

 plants should be carefully examined, and all those that 

 are dry should be watered, so that at shifting time the 

 soil may be moderately moist. If shifted with their 

 balls dry it is difficult to properly moisten them after- 

 wards, particularly as it is not desirable to water them 

 immediately after being shifted. The other prelimin- 

 aries of getting the necessary amount of soil prepared 

 and placed in some place to warm it, and the pots cleansed 

 and crocked and arranged in convenient readiness, should 

 be all seen to before the day on which the pines are to 

 be repotted. Hurry and confusion will thus be pre- 

 vented in taking advantage of the first mild day for 



