22 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



shifting and rearranging the succession stock. In 

 draining the pots it must be borne in mind that the 

 plants are to remain in them till they have perfected 

 their fruit and a crop of suckers for another season's 

 stock, and the drainage should be efficiently performed, 

 as directed when treating of suckers, only the depth of 

 crocks should be a little greater in the case of the pots 

 recommended for fruiting in. 



The house or pit intended for the reception of the 

 plants after they are shifted should be thoroughly 

 cleansed. The glass and wood-work should be aU 

 washed, and the walls whitewashed with hot-lime, so 

 that there may be admitted and diffused as much light 

 as possible, which for a stocky and fruitful growth early 

 in the season is one of the most important conditions in 

 the cultivation of the pine-apple. In the case of those 

 who are dependent on fermenting material for bottom- 

 heat, all that may be necessary in relation to that will 

 be to mix into the surface of the bed about six or eight 

 inches of fresh tan, well mixing it with a foot of the 

 surface of the old bed. But should the leaves have 

 been several years in the pit, and the heat much de- 

 clined, it wiU then be necessary either to take out the 

 tan and mis in some fresh leaves with the old, or to 

 add a greater proportion of fresh tan without interfering 

 with the leaves at all. In the latter case the old tan 

 should be sifted, preserving the roughest part of it. 

 There is not an operation connected with the growth of 

 the pine-apple that I dread more than entirely renewing 

 the leaves and tan in pine-pits ; and rather than run 

 the risk of sudden and violent fits of bottom-heat, I 

 have allowed the leaves in the bottom of pits to remain 

 undisturbed for six or seven years at a time. I have 



