OF THE PINE-APPLE. 



261 



the fruit is cut. In this situation the suckers will 

 grow very large, provided the stools are plentifully 

 supplied with water : and if some of the most 

 forward and strongest suckers are permitted to 

 remain on the old stocks (only one on a stool) they 

 will sometimes produce tolerably good fruit the 

 next season. When this is intended, if the sucker 

 grow near the bottom of the stool, a few of the 

 leaves immediately under it should be cut off, and 

 mould raised to the bottom of the sucker (which 

 may easily be done by the help of a piece of a 

 broken pot) in order for the sucker to strike; after 

 which time it will grow amazingly fast, by receiv- 

 ing nourishment from its own roots, as > well as from 

 those of the parent stocky therefore, as it advances 

 in size, the leaves of the old stool should from 

 time to time be taken off, in order to make room 

 for it. 



Having thus pointed out the different- modes 

 that are practised, I return to the former, as being 

 the most eligible. 



Suckers cannot with safety be taken from the 

 plants, till they are grown to the length of twelve 

 or fourteen inches, when their bottoms will be 

 hardv woody, and full of small round knobs, which 

 are the rudiments of the roots. It would en^ 

 danger their breaking if they were to be taken off 

 sooner. 



When the suckers are taken off* the operation 

 should be performed with great care, that neither 

 plant nor sucker may be injured. To prevent 



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