486 Notices of Communications to the Society, of which 



but kept moderately dry in the winter. Cactus Pereskia 

 answers equally well for an elevating stock as C. triqueter. 



June 19th. Mr. William Gibson, Gardener to Henry 

 Peters, Esq. at Betchworth Castle in Surrey, communicated 

 a paper to the Meeting this day, descriptive of his Method 

 of growing Pine Apples under Frame, with the heat of 

 leaves alone. He prepares his bed for his fruiting plants in 

 February, with leaves collected in the autumn, chiefly of the 

 common oak and Spanish Chestnut. The frame he uses is 

 thirteen feet long by six feet and a half wide, three feet and 

 a half high at the back, and two feet and a half high at the 

 front. The basis of the bed is laid out eight feet wide, and 

 this is gradually contracted to seven feet, when the bed has 

 been raised to four feet and a half high. At this height the 

 leaves are made level, and well trodden, after which a course 

 of leaves ten inches thick, is laid round the edge of the bed, 

 in order to raise the bottom of the frame, which, when placed, 

 is by that means so elevated that a sufficient depth for large 

 plants is secured within it. The Pine plants are then intro- 

 duced within the frame, and are plunged into decayed leaves 

 about three inches above the rims of the pots. The advan- 

 tage resulting from this deep immersion of the pots is, 

 that the plants soon throw out roots amongst the leaves, 

 which promotes the growth of the fruit, and as they then 

 require much less water than is usually given to Pine plants 

 sunk in tan, the fruit has consequently a higher flavour. 

 It is adviseable to make up a fresh bed in October for the 

 plants which are to be kept through the winter, but if leaves 



