540 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



tention, by the same means, of the steady degree of moisture, would, in our opinion, be a sufficient argu- 

 ment for plunging pots of vigorous-growing, many-leaved, or fruit-bearing plants. 



2934. Had Juiight's plan been brought forward by a less eminent horticulturist, it 

 would have claimed but little attention, as the plan of growing pines without bottom 

 heat, is generally considered to have been tried, — first by M. Le Cour, and subsequently 

 by various others, and abandoned. In Knight's hands, however, whether it fail or suc- 

 ceed, it is certain of doing good, by the observations it will elicit from the fertile and 

 ingenious mind of so candid and philosophical a horticulturist. {The different Modes, 

 &c. p. 170.) 



2935. Estimate of Knight'' s efforts as to the culture of the pine-apple. Knight's two 

 subsequent papers contain merely incidental observations of little consequence ; but in 

 so far as they go, rather adverse than otherwise, both to the plan of house, as well as 

 the mode of culture. On the whole, it may safely be asserted that no light has been 

 thrown on the culture of the pine-apple by this eminent horticulturist, notwithstanding 

 his assertions respecting the great facility of its culture by the most ignorant laborer ; 

 that the culture in the bark-bed, or other hot-bed, if the pots be plunged into it, is worse 

 than useless {Hort. Trans, iv. 544.); and that every one of a very great number 

 of gardeners who visited the garden, declared himself a zealous convert. [lb. 545). 

 The truth is, Knight commenced his operations a perfect novice in that depart- 

 ment of gardening ; and it is most curious to observe, from his own accounts, that he 

 has only succeeded in so far as he has approached to the modes in common use. Very 

 large pots were adopted (Hort. Trans, v. 144.), which served as an approach to plunging 

 smaller pots in a mass calculated to preserve a uniform degree of moisture : a house 

 with a fixed roof is found less suitable for ventilation than one with sliding sashes [Hort. 

 Trans, v. 287-8-9.) ; and this circumstance, and that of the iron bars admitting so much 

 light, render the risk of over-heating such, that it was " thought best" to be " provided 

 with a net" to shade in hot weather. In short, notwithstanding the " many converts" 

 among the " practical gardeners," and the confident assertions in the communications to 

 the Horticultural Society, the foilure may be considered as fiot only complete, but as 

 having been attended by nothing useful or new on the subject. It is but rendering 

 justice to practical gardeners to state this freely ; and Knight is too sensible a man to 

 be offended at us for having done so. We, therefore, recommend all those who wish 

 to grow the pine-apple in the first style of excellence, and at a moderate expense, to 

 adopt the pits and houses of Baldwin, Alton, or Scott ; and to imitate their practice, 

 or that of M'Phail and Griffin. See the useful treatise above (2932.) referred to for 

 more minute details. 



2936. The mode of employing the vigor remaining in the old-stock or plant after the fruit is cut, 

 to nourish, for a certain time, the sucker or suckers which may be growing on it, was prac- 

 tised by Speedily ; but scarcely to the extent to which it has been carried lately. This 

 we tliink, a considerable improvement, if kept within certain limits ; but, if carried too 

 far, what might be gained by the sucker coming earlier into fruit, would be lost by the 

 retardation of its own suckers. 



2937. A queen pine, grown hy Peter Marsland, of Woodbank, near Stockport, was exhibited to 

 the Horticultural Society, on Nov. 3. 1818. " It weighed three pounds fourteen ounces, measured seven- 

 teen inches in circumference, and was peculiarly well-flavored. The singularity of this pine was its being 

 the produce of a sucker which had been removed from the parent root only six months previous to the 

 time the fruit was cut. The plant on which the sucker grew had produced a fruit, which was cut in 

 October, 1817 ; the old stem, with the sucker attached, was allowed to remain in the pine. pit till May, 

 1818; at that time the sucker was broken off, potted, and plunged into a fresh pit ; it soon after showed 

 fruit, which, in -the course of four months, attained to the weight and size above stated. P. Marsland is in 

 the practice of producing pines in this way with equal success and expedition. His houses are all heated 

 by steam." (Hort. Trans, iv. 52.) 



2938. Specimens of the New Providence, globe, black Antigua, and Enville, were exhibited on the 17th of 

 October, 1819, all which were produced in a similar manner to the above. P. Marsland considers, that 

 " though not of the largest description, yet as far as beauty of form and richness of flavor are concerned, ■ 

 they would not yield to fruit of more protracted growth." The success which has attended this gentle- 

 man's mode of " treating the pine, so as to ensure the production of fruit within twelve months from the 

 cutting of their previous produce, has been perfectly satisfactory and the following is his account of it. 

 " In November, 1819, as soon as the fruit had been cut from the pine-plants, which were then two years 

 old, all the leaves were stripped off the old stocks, nothing being left but a single sucker on each, and that 

 the strongest on the plant; they were then placed in a house where the heat was about sixty degrees, 

 and they remained till March, 1820. At this period the suckers were broken off frdm the old stocks, and 

 planted in pots from eight to twelve inches in diiimeter, varying according to the size of the sucker. It 

 may be proper, however, to observe, that the length of time which the young sucker is allowed to remain 

 attached to the mother plant, depends in some degree upon the kind of pine : the tardy fruiters, such as 

 the black Antigua, and others, require to be left longer than the queen, and those which fruit readily. 

 After the suckers had been planted, they were removed from the house, where they had remained while 

 on the old stock, to one in which the temperature was raised to seventy-five degrees. Immediately upon 

 their striking root, the largest of the suckers showed fruit, which swelled well, and ripened between 

 August and November, being, on the average, ten months from the time the fruit was cut from the old 

 plant, and seven months from the time the sucker was planted. The fruit so produced, though, as may 

 be expected, not of the largest description, I have invariably found to be richer and higher flavored than 

 that grown on older plants. The suckers of inferior strength will not show fruit in the same season, but 

 in the following they will yield good fruit, and strong suckers for a succeeding year's supply. Those 

 suckers are to be preferred which are produced on plants that have ripened their fruit in November, for 

 those taken from plants whose fruit is cut in August or earlier, are apt to show fruit in January, or 



