302 



ON THE CULTURE 



too long at that season of the year, when generally 

 there are great numbers of the fruit of the Pine 

 in blossom : for it should be remembered, that light, 

 as well as warmth, is essentially necessary to pro- 

 mote the growth of plants. 



In large double-pitted hot-houses the covering 

 of the lower lights may be effected with great 

 ease ; and this is found to be of use on a double 

 account ; first, because the Pine-plants in the front 

 pit, by standing very near the glass, are in the 

 most need of covering in severe weather; and, 

 secondly, because the front pit is generally used 

 for succession plants, which require to be shaded, 

 after being shifted in the spring, whenever the 

 weather is warm and clear, as I have before ob- 

 served in treating upon that head. 



There is yet another mode of covering, which in 

 this place merits our consideration, viz. the screen- 

 ing of the hot-house from the violence of the sun 

 in very hot seasons. 



I have already observed, in the former part of 

 this work, that the fruit of the Pine, (particularly 

 the kind called the Queen Pine,) in the middle of 

 summer is subject to crack in the middle ; and 

 when that is the case, it generally contains a very 

 insipid watery juice. 



It is evident that this imperfection proceeds 

 from the too violent heat of the hot-house in the 

 middle of summer ; for we find that later in the 

 season they never have this defect : for the juice 

 in the Pine decreases with the length of the days ; 



