B R O M E L I A. 



I 



eludes, to prev-nt the plant, from ftart.ng too ioot 

 fn.lt ; a..d thc.r do,n- fo is frcqunuly more in coMtq 

 of too much bottom htat, than irr<^guhrity m the ter 



«,>, Tfomnn- to be rf -plnnRed to the brim5 again in the 

 Zl fo^ " wimcr. It ., the comn,on pra^-ce at tin, t,me 

 ^ add a la^« QKuUitv of new tan. in order to k'^p up a 

 ftron, l-^"- >^'« through this feafon ; '>^- -'"ej ^ - 

 N.C0I thmks nothing cau be mo.-e erroneou . He ha 

 I^re-idv remarked, that the bottom and foperfic.al heat ougl. 

 ^o c^rlefpond at all tunes ; and if the houle .s to be vvrc..ght 

 a, 6o» only for the winter, it follows, he fuppofes, that a 

 verv moder:>te bottom heat is futTKient. The tempc.ture 

 of the huufe bein,. fo much reduced >" -mter.js.^^he con^ 



equence 

 tem'pera-. 

 ,ure of the i\..vc. In the beginning of February, w.hicV U 

 the beft (hewing feafon, the bark Inds will requi-e trench- • 

 ing. which is the only time of the year that the a^ovc author 

 aJvif 5 a devi:.tion from the rules given above, tvom this 

 tm« thehcufe, in his opinion, (liould be wrought as higb 

 a, -0°. and the bottom heat keep pace v ith the artificial, 

 for'which new tan, to the extent ot a fi>;'Ji i«rt, fhould b e 

 added. Such of the plants, he obfen,es. as arc not fhe^v.i, 

 are healthy at the root, and (land eied anr'. firm in the j o ts, 

 (hould have a little fre(h mould laid on r'.ie fuiface by l.he 

 removal of about two inches of the r.ld. But thofe t lat 

 are already ihewn, and thofe that a'.; anywife uiihealtliy . or 

 appear Hunted. Iliould be Ihaken out entirely, and rcpliced 

 with frefli mould in the fame '^ots ; but none of the n >ots, 

 unlefs wafted, (hould be cut a'.vay, or removed. This, fo ) ar as 

 it refpeds the plants that are (hewn, he prcfumcs ha; not 

 been hitheito recomme;Xed ; he is confeqiiently happy m 

 being enabled to do it with confidence, as it has i:ver I een a 

 matt-r to be regretwd, that pints, from the want of fun and 

 air in the winter tnonths, are apt to be Hunted, and (hew 

 their fruit too fi-on ; and that fruit fo (hewn, li;ldom comes 

 to any confiderable Ike or flavour ; the plants fo Hunted, 

 being unable to nouriih the fruit, and thtfe, from the want 

 of funfhine in the early months, coming far (hort in flavour 

 of that matured at a later period. It is added, that the 

 experiment was tried on a dozen of plants, the half of which 

 were in, and the other half pail, the flower at this time of 

 the vear; the refult was, that they were kept back a full 

 month by the operation ; thofe that were pall the flower 

 equalled, and thofe that wtro only in flower exceeded any 

 of the others of their own fjrwardnefs at the time of (hitt- 

 ing. Being encouraged by this fnccefs, he treated his 

 whole (lock of fruiting plautt in the fame manner in the 

 following feafons, and they wire kept back to a better fea- 

 fon, and fwcUed their fru-t to as good a fize as thofe that 

 (hewed in February. Towards the beginning or middle of 

 Mav. the bark beds (hould be agiiin trenched to the bottom, 

 a tenth part of new tan added, anil the plants re-plunged in 

 the beds in the fame manner as in the preceding cafes, no- 

 thin<T further being necclfary. Tiiough it is not pofTible to 

 apply the heat conllautly with that degree of exaftnefs that 

 has been recommended, it is of great iniportaiice to approach 

 it as near as can be conveniently done, which, by proper 

 attention to the thermometers employed for the purpofe, 

 mav in a great degree be accomplithcd, einecially where the 

 perfon who manages the fires, has l.kewife ihe command of 

 the houfe, which (hould always he the cafe. 



Several forts of fuel are employed, but cod or cinders 

 make the moft regular and durable fires, where they can 

 be obtained. Ground tan heat may alfo be employed 

 where the fire-places are properly conltruftcd for the pur- 

 pofe. See HoT-HousE. 



With regard to the admiCTion of air, the author of " The 

 Scotch Forcing Gardener" recommends very large portions 



in the fruiting-houfe wtiil' .■ the fruit is ripening, as it •^.Ke 

 thinks, not only eifential tr , tbt flavourv.,g of it, but b''j;'hly con- 

 ducive to the ripening ? .11'^ han].<-ning of the fjckero, which 

 13 alfo a point of impoi.' jn^e. Though Vt is the praftice of 

 fome to Ihadc their »■ .^^Is from th-; uin, the above author 

 funpofes they can r ..y^.^ \iave too much of its influence. It 

 is .;dvifed, that I' , winter even frollt air flunil.i be admitted 

 in a moderate i" ^.gjee at the top of the houfe, and in fiefh 

 wtather, at t' ^,^5 feafon, to the extent, that the thermometer 

 may not K ,e more than 5" above the fire-heat medium, 

 being cor .tinned till the middle of March ; after which, and 

 for the whole feafon, not more than 10'^. It is obferved 

 that)' ., winter (ires are frequently made in the morning, folely 

 ffV the purpofe of admitting air, and at the fame time keep- 

 '.'.ig up the temperature of the houfe, and that although the 

 pine, from its nature, does not appear to quickly feel the 

 effeiU of bad management, there are few plants in reality 

 do it more fo, and :oo due an attention to the temperature 

 of the houfe, efpecially in winter, cannot be paid, the want 

 of which is fure to throw the plants into fruit in an untimely 

 feafon. 



In refpeft to the application of water in the culture of 

 thefe plants, it is advifcd to be given very fparingly in dull 

 weather, particularly in the winter feafon, from about the 

 beginning of Oiftober to the iirll or middle of March, once 

 in eight or ten days is generally fufficient, in a fmall propor- 

 tion ; but from that period plentiful witeiings are rcquifite, 

 in confiderable quantities at a time, moltly once in three or 

 four days. Watering much over head in winter, except in 

 clear weather, is not advifed ; but in the fummer months it 

 is recommended, as a good praftice, to firft give the quantity 

 requifite to the root from the fpout of a watering pan, and 

 then a fufScient quantity to wet every part of the leaves 

 from the rofe ; the reafon of which is, that the different 

 kinds of pines are formed to require very different quanti- 

 ties of water : the queen requiring more than the king ; 

 the Antigua, or brown fugar loaf, and the Montferrat and 

 green or ftript fugar loaf, a medium between the two, in 

 plants of an equal Hate of health and fize. 



With the fruiting plants, very large quantities arc re- 

 quired from the time they are out of flower, till they begin 

 to colour; but which (hould then be gradually withheld, 

 and towards its maturity totally, as this increafesthe flavour 

 of the fruit, and perfcds the ripening of the fuckers. 



Steaming is confidered as not only ufelcfs to the health of 

 the pine, but, in dull hazy weather, prejudicial; of courfe, 

 when there are grapes in the hot-houfe, it ihould be regu- 

 lated fo as to fuit them. 



Water well impregnated with air (hould be ufed at all 

 times, which fhould be applied about eight iii the morning, 

 and from f(,ur to five in the afternoon. In the watering of 

 thefe plants, a tin pipe is recommended as ufeful and con- 

 venient, for the more ready conduftiug the water in the 

 quantity intended to any particular plants of the bark beds. 

 It (houid be fix feet long, an inch and half in diameter at 

 the upper end, and at the other about half an inch, and be 

 formed of two or three feparate pieces to lengthen or 

 (horten at pleafiire. At the longeft end a kind of funnel 

 fhould either be fixed, or fo contrived as to take off and on 

 occafionally, to receive the water from the watering pot. 

 By this means water is capable of being conveyed to the 

 plants feparately, in any proportion, to the hearts of them, 

 without wetting the bark beds more than is neceffary to 

 moiHen the earth in the pots, &c. It is particularly appli. 

 cable in winter as well as in the fpring, during the bloom of 

 the fruiting plants. In winter it may fometimes be proper 

 to have fome conveniences in the ftove to preferve water in, 



that 



