380 



THE TROPICAL FRUIT STOVE. 



incarnata of others) produces immense quantities of fruit, which is about 

 as large as a hen's egg, and much of the same shape ; green at first, but 

 when ripe of a beautiful plum-colour. It is a native of the Brazils, and 

 was introduced to England fi'om Portugal in 1810. Such is the rapid 

 growth of this species, that a plant has been known to extend in one 

 season over forty feet of glass, and on the same space produce fi'om four 

 to five hundred fruit. 



All the edible species of Passiflora will produce theh fruit veiy well in 

 large pots ; " but it is best to plant them in an angle of a stove, which 

 has been parted off, either by boards or brickwork, as low as the pit goes. 

 At the bottom of the ca^ity formed by this division should be laid some 

 brick mbbish, over which may be thrown a little dead tan, and the whole 

 be then filled with equal parts of very old tan, and a compost of leaf- 

 mould and veiy rotten dung, wherein the roots will strike freely, and will 

 even spread through the partition into the pit. They do not require the 

 full heat of a pine stove, for they flourish best in a temperature of from 

 sixty-five to seventy degrees ; but they will not bring their fruit to per- 

 fection if kept in a common greenhouse or conservatory, though they 

 v^ill gi'ow and flower in it. The shoots as they advance may be trained 

 near to and under the inchned glass of the stove ; the first flowers will 

 appear in ]\Iay, and the blooming will continue to September, the fruit 

 setting the whole time : but if it does not set well it will be advisable to 

 impregnate stigmas, by applying the pollen with a feather. As they 

 grow, the very strong shoots should be cut out fi'om their origin, for these 

 do not bear fruit so abundantly as those which are less vigorous ; and 

 the fruiting branches must not be shortened on any account. The tem- 

 perature must be kept up equally during the time of flowering and fruit- 

 ing ; the crop will begin to come in in August, and will continue until 

 Januai'y, but the earher produce is the best. When the crop is all 

 off, which vdll be early in January, the heat must be reduced to about 

 fifty degrees, so as to check and stop the gi'owth. This being effected, 

 the shoots must be well cut in. As little old wood as possible, besides 

 the main stem, which rises from the pit to the glass, and a few pieces 

 (about two or three feet of each) of the old branches, should be retained ; 

 for all that is to be trained under the glass to bear in each year, ought 

 to be the grovrth of two years' standing. In this dormant and reduced 

 state it is to ])e kept dming Januaiy and Febniary, after which the neces- 

 sar}' heat may be apphed to cause it to resume its functions for the 

 ensuing season." — SaUne, in Hort. Trans, 



