28 



that cannot be attained when the plants are growing 

 in soil resting upon it. But, on the side of bed cul- 

 ture, it must be admitted that much less care and la- 

 bour are required for its practice, and that if the hot 

 water system of heating be adopted, the chief diffi- 

 culty in the way of its adoption is removed. With- 

 out a combination of pot culture with that in the 

 bed, it is almost impossible to keep up a regular suc- 

 cession of fruit. 



It is but due to Mr. Barnes to state that he inclines 

 to pot culture of the pine apple, observing that, the 

 advantages derived from the turning out pine plants 

 into prepared beds over those cultivated in pots, have 

 hitherto been but small, under our usual methods of 

 applying bottom heat ; indeed I have not ascertained 

 that any one has produced superior fruit, or in quicker 

 succession, from plants turned out of their pots than 

 we have, cultivated entirely in pots. I am an advo- 

 cate for any improvement, and shall adopt the turning 

 out system so soon as its advantages are brought to 

 bear. Turning out plants into a bed of soil placed on 

 fermenting materials, must for a time confine the bot- 

 tom heat to that extent that it would cause a large 

 portion of the soil resting on it to become stagnant. 

 Through watering the plants and its confinement the 

 heat is liable to subside suddenly ; by applying heat 

 as we have recommended in a former section, in the 1st 

 volume, those difficulties would be got over. WJiere 



