THE PINE-APPLE. 



31 



dark and the atmosphere is dull. As, however, we 

 cannot change our climate, we must do our best to 

 counteract its enervating influence through the 

 winter months, by constructing our Pineries so as to 

 admit and diffuse as much light and sunshine as can 

 be obtained. During the summer months it is just 

 possible that the sun may be too powerful at times ; 

 the roofs should therefore be provided with fixed 

 rollers, to which light blinds can be attached for 

 running down during the hottest part of the day, 

 when shade is absolutely necessary ; but on no 

 account should systematic shading be resorted to. 



Assuming that the north side of the Pine- ground 

 is enclosed by a wall, and a good lean-to house is 

 required for starting the plants into fruit in January 

 and February, as well as 

 for swelling off fruit in 

 winter and early spring, 

 Fig. 1. will be found an 

 economical structure, as 

 the substantial north wall 

 will afford great pro- 

 tection from cold cutting 

 draughts, and being near 

 the boiler, which can be 

 conveniently placed in a 

 covered stoke-hole on the 

 north side, the high tem- 

 perature which it will be 

 necessary to maintain 

 throughout those dead 

 months can be secured at 

 first hand. The size of the 



house can be regulated by the demand for ripe 

 fruit, and as houses of this kind are as well adapted 

 to the culture of Cucumbers and Melons as of Pines, 

 it will be false economy to mar the proportions of 

 the structure by making it too small, when, by the 

 introduction of a division, two medium-sized houses 

 can be secured for two sets of plants to succeed each 

 other, in the order of starting and ripening off their 

 fruit. The width of the house may vary from 

 16 to 18 feet, and the length from 20 to 40 feet ; but 

 for private growers two houses of 20 feet each will 

 be found more useful than one of 40 feet. Mr. Miles, 

 of Wycombe Abbey, the champion grower of Queen 

 Pines, has a set of three houses, similar to Fig. 2. 

 for successions and fruiters in their different stages 

 of growth. They are about 20 feet each in length, 

 with only one entrance at the west end ; they are 

 abundantly supplied with hot-water pipes, and the 

 plunging-beds being thrown well up to the light, the 

 plants under his skilful management are at all times 

 a picture well worth looking upon. 



For the summer growth of Queens, Cayennes, and 

 Eothschilds, preference is now generally given to the 



A, Plunging-bed 

 berries ; d, 

 chamber. 



span-roofed house (Fig. 3), which should be placed 

 in front of the lean-to, with one end facing due 

 north, and the other south. It should not, however, 

 be placed so near or erected so high as to throw any 

 shade upon the lean-to in winter, when the sun does 

 not rise many degrees above the horizon, otherwise 

 the plants in the latter will become weak and what 

 is termed " drawn," a condition from which no 

 future management can restore them. Ventilation 

 in such a house being liberally provided in the side 

 walls and at the apex, the roof may either be fixed 

 or composed of loose sashes running in rafters. The 

 fixed roof is most economical, and admits most light, 

 but the sash and rafter house also has its advantages, 

 and looks more imposing where the surroundings, in 

 a first-class garden, are 

 of the highest order. In 

 houses of this kind, while 

 enjoying all the light 

 that it is possible to 

 receive, the plants in the 

 morning and afternoon 

 have the full benefit of 

 the sun, and are partially 

 shaded from its scorching 

 influence during the hot- 

 test part of the day. 

 Moreover, when plunged 

 with their leaves nearly 

 touching the glass, with 

 an abundance of light on 

 everj'- side, they soon as- 

 sume a stiff, sturdy, com- 

 pact growth, quite different to plants which we some- 

 times see with their elongated leaves struggling to 

 the light, and hardly capable of bearing their own 

 weight. From such plants, the sap being so highly 

 concentrated, it is scarcely necessary to say that 

 large fruit with small crowns are invariably pro- 

 duced; while the young stock raised from these 

 robust parents is infinitely superior to that grown 

 from plants which have not had these advantages. 



From the foregoing it must not be inferred that 

 the span-roofed house is at every point superior to a 

 well-arranged lean-to ; for while the latter is warmer, 

 and receives quite as much sun through the winter 

 months, the span-roof with its larger radiating 

 surface of glass is more liable to sudden depressions 

 of temperature in our uncertain climate. To counter- 

 act these depressions it is always necessary to put in 

 an abundance of hot-water piping, while to avoid 

 over-heating and to economise fuel, every span- 

 roofed house should be fitted Avith rollers for 

 carrj-ing light blinds in summer, and heavy non- 

 conducting material in winter. It will thus be 

 seen that each house has its advantages and 



Fig. 1.— Lean-to-House. 



B, drainage ; c c, shelves for Straw- 

 oo, pipes ; e e, hot-air 



