THE PINE-APPLE. 35 



FRUITING PLANTS. 



Eipe pines being required in tlie early part of June, 

 it -will be necessary to set a quantity of Queens in 

 motion by the iirst of January, to succeed those which 

 are generally termed winter and spring fruiters, and 

 which will be treated of by-and-by. Queens are by far 

 the best variety to start at this season, with the view of 

 getting ripe fruit from them quickly to keep up the suc- 

 cession after the winter fruiting varieties. Yet for the 

 sake of variety, and also to keep up as long a succession 

 as possible from the same lot of plants, it is desirable to 

 start a few of the later varieties at the same time ; but 

 Queens should form the great majority. 



Where bottom-heat is derived from leaves and tan, 

 the bed in the fruiting pinery should have fresh material 

 added to it, as formerly directed, to increase the heat to 

 from 85° to 90°; but in doing this, very particular at- 

 tention must be paid to the state of the bed, as over 

 much bottom-heat at this stage would prove fatal to 

 anything like success. The principal part of the roots 

 being at the bottom and round the sides of the pots, 

 they are now more than ever particularly liable to suffer 

 from too much heat, and great caution is necessary. 

 Should there be any fear about the over-heating of the 

 bed after it is prepared, it will be much safer to only 

 half plunge the pots at first, till it be certain that the 

 heat will not exceed 90°. 



Those who have the more desirable and superior ap- 

 pliance of hot-water pipes or tanks for bottom-heat, will 

 be spared the trouble and anxiety which is attached to the 

 otherwise by no means inefficient, when well managed, 



