THE PINE-APPLE. 43 



scarce. March and April are the most difficult montlis 

 of the whole year in which to have ripe pines. 



In June and July I always endeavour to start a quan- 

 tity of the Smooth-leaved Cayenne and Charlotte Eoths- 

 child. These are noble pines when well grown, being 

 unsurpassed for appearance and long keeping after they 

 are ripe, and swell better after October than any other 

 pines I know. The Black Jamaica is also a most useful 

 pine for winter swelling, and probably is unsurpassed 

 for flavour at the dullest season of the year. The Queen 

 is comparatively worthless as a winter pine compared to 

 these two ; it does not swell kindly, and is always dry 

 and juiceless compared to them. 



There should be two sets of these winter sorts, as 

 recommended in the case of Queens and other early 

 sorts for summer and autumn fruit. The Smooth- 

 leaved Cayenne is so very shy in making suckers that I 

 always endeavour to save as many crowns as I can, and 

 take all the suckers that can be got in October from the 

 fruiting plants, whether the fruit be ripe or not. These 

 suckers and crowns are potted generally into 6-inch pots, 

 and shifted in spring as soon as sufficiently rooted, as 

 described in the former part of this treatise. These are 

 shifted into 11 and 12 inch pots, and grown on in the 

 usual way, only that they are not kept so dry in autumn 

 and winter as is desirable for early starting plants. The 

 temperature, too, is kept five degrees higher than for 

 Queens at rest ; the object being not to mature the 

 growth of these so as to predispose them to start 

 in spring. The heat is quickened, both top and 

 bottom, in February, and they make a spring growth ; 

 are rested in May and June by being kept drier and 

 cooler ; and then, with increased heat and moisture, I 



