700 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



composed tan or leaves of which the bed is composed. The 

 plants have not only now to support their fruit, but also to 

 nourish suckers, which will be fast forming, and which, when 

 formed, make rapid progress in their growth ; as these suckers 

 are one of the modes by which tlte pine propagates itself, they 

 cannot be dispensed with, unless on particular occasions, such 

 as that of an unusually fine fruit apj^earing ; in such a case, the 

 lesser evil may be chosen, namely, that of destroying the 

 offspring suckers, in order to proinote the growth of the fruit. 

 This is, however, seldom done, at least to any extent ; the 

 young plants always being considered valuable. Some varie- 

 ties of pines arc liable to produce small suckers upon the foot- 

 stalk of the fruit, which, as they seldom are of much value, 

 should be rubbed off' as they appear ; for, if left on, they 

 would rob the fruit of a considerable portion of nourishment. 

 The different varieties of sugar-loaf, the king, and the brown 

 Antigua are particularly apt to produce small suckers of this 

 kiiul ; and these have been by gardeners denominated giUs, 

 \\ hen more than two or three suckers appear upon one plant, 

 which has a large fruit, it is adviseable to destroy them, as 

 the increased size of the fruit, and the remaining two or three 

 well-grown suckers will be sufficient produce from one plant. 

 Whcu the fruit is of inferior size, then the suckers may be 

 permitted to remain to the number of six or seven; more tlinn 

 that cannot be well brought to perfection upon one plant. 

 Such suckers as issue from the roots should be generally de- 

 stroyed, as seldom making good plants. But if the increase 

 of the stock of plants be the object, all suckers of the stem, 

 and some of the best of those from the roots, should be en- 

 couraged. Those from the roots are more apt to start into 

 fruit in a premature state, than those which are formed upon 

 the stem of the plants, and are therefore of much less value. 



Many gardeners prefer crowns to suckers, as making the 

 best plants ; others are of a different opinion ; amongst the 

 latter was Spcechly, who was the most successful cultivator ot 

 this fruit in his day. Suckers," he says, "are preferable to 

 crowns, being generally of a much larger size ; the goodness 

 of either does not at all de})end on the length of their leaves, 

 but on the substance of their stems at the bottom, I have 



