35 



are March and October. A.t each of the periods the 

 plants are to be entirely removed from the pit ; at one 

 end a trench opened three or four feet wide, and the 

 tan removed to the other. The new bark is to be 

 placed about a foot deep over the bottom of each 

 trench, and particularly against the sides of the pit, 

 as the new will ferment stronger, and the centre of 

 the bed is sure to be hot enough ; besides it will decay 

 much faster around the edges of the bed than in the 

 middle. A corresponding quantity of the old decayed 

 bark must be removed as you proceed to make room 

 for the new. Select the largest for the back row, and 

 so also for each consecutive row. The largest for 

 each row again ought to be placed in the centre. 

 This arrangement, on the whole, will give the plants a 

 better appearance than if promiscuously plunged, and 

 will also afford more room to the plants individually, 

 more particularly if placed in the quincuncial manner. 

 The pots ought not to be inserted more than half-way 

 into the tan, until the heat, which in a few days will 

 become too powerful, has subsided. Daily examine the 

 ' temperature of the bark bed; for the least oversigbt 

 at this critical juncture will entail positive ruin to the 

 fruiting plants; especially as, should the roots now get 

 I scorched, the chance is, that every plant in the pit 

 i will be prematurely forced into fruit, in a weakly, ex- 

 hausted condition, from the unnatural loss of those 

 abundant strong roots which they are now supposed 

 D 2 



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