734 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Jtme, 



FRUITING PINE-PLANTS. 



The directions given last month for the general management 

 of the fruiting plants, should be closely followed up during 

 this month ; observing to withdraw the quantity of water gra- 

 dually from the plants as the fruit approaches towards perfec- 

 tion. Air must be freely admitted, and, if the weather be 

 now fine, fires may be gradually discontinued, provided the 

 temperature can be kept sufficiently high without them. As 

 the fruit is cut for use, the plants may remain during the 

 greater part of this month undisturbed, to forward the growth 

 of the suckers : some of these will be sufficiently fit for being 

 taken off the old plants before the rest ; and such as are founi 

 to separate freely from the old plants, and have become of a 

 brownish color at their bottom, may be taken carefully off, 

 which will enable the plants to bring the remainder to greatci* 

 perfection. Accordingly as these suckers are gathered off the 

 plants, and the crowns returned after the fruit has been used, 

 they should be laid by for some days to di-y and harden at 

 their bottoms. The crowns will generally require to lie longer 

 drying than the suckers ; a few days may be sufficient for the 

 greater part of the latter, when they should be planted into 

 the frames or in the front of the nursing-pit to root. After 

 the crowns are fully dry, so as to be not likely to damp, a 

 few of the lower and smaller leaves should be removed, and 

 then planted along with the suckers to root, where they must 

 remain till August, when they must be potted according to 

 their respective sizes. Such plants as have had their fruit 

 cut and their young suckers taken off, should be removed, 

 and thrown away as fit for no other use. This will afford 

 more space to those which remain, and make room for any 

 that may have either been kept in the succession-pit for want 

 of room in the fruiting-pit, or for such as may either have 

 started prematurely, or been started for the purpose of fruiting 

 late in autumn. Where there are any of these, they should 

 be brought into the fruiting-house, accordingly as room is 

 made by the removal of those which are taken away, and 

 plunged here until a general regulation take place m the next 



