34 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



damp atmosphere, wMcli leads to an accumulation of 

 moisture and to drip, is by all means to he avoided at this 

 season, yet a parchingly dry atmosphere produced by 

 highly-heated pipes is very prejudicial, and cannot well 

 be counteracted in winter without producing the oppo- 

 site evil. Hence the benefit of covering the glass at night. 

 When, however, it becomes necessary to apply moisture 

 to coimteract the too drying effects of hard firing, the 

 best way is to sprinkle the paths instead of the pipes, 

 because the moisture will be carried more gradually into 

 the atmosphere, and is therefore not so likely to accumu- 

 late and drop into the centres of the plants which, as all 

 pine-growers have doubtless found out, is attended 

 with spotted leaves, and not unfrequently deformed 

 fruit. 



Winter treatment the reverse of what I have here 

 recommended — a high temperature and more water at 

 the root and the air — causes the plants to grow aU 

 winter ; and from want of light and air they become 

 drawn and weakly — in fact, worthless — or probably 

 some of them may start at the dead of winter, when, 

 particularly in the case of Queens, there is very little 

 chance of their blooming and setting properly, and wUl 

 either way be worthless. An instance of such treat- 

 ment once came under my notice, when the whole rest- 

 ing season, instead of a low temperature, 75° of heat 

 was kept up, with moisture in abundance. The conse- 

 quence was that when the time for starting them came 

 round they were tail, tender, and only fit for the waste 

 heap. 



Pine plants arrived at the stage I have been now 

 treating of are termed fruiting plants, and under that 

 heading I wiU speak of their further treatment. 



