Aug.] 



THE FORCING GARDEN. 



751 



AUGUST. 



PINE-PLANTS. 



Upon the supposition that the fruit be all or nearly cut, 

 a general arrangement of the pine-plants will now be neces- 

 sary. The old stock of plants, which has just produced their 

 fruit, and has been left in the fruiting-pit to perfect their 

 Buckers, is now to be removed entirely out of the house; 

 the suckers carefully twisted off, and laid by in some conve- 

 nient place till they become a little dry, which will be sufficiently 

 effected in the course of a week. The old plants, now divested 

 of their suckers, are to be thrown away altogether ; the bark 

 or leaf-bed thoroughly turned up, and all the exhausted matter 

 carried away. While these operations are going on, it will be 

 convenient to have the flues cleared of soot, and any trifling 

 repairs done to the walls, flues, or roof of the house, that 

 may be deemed necessary. The bed should be again filled 

 up with such a proportion of fresh tan or leaves as will again 

 raise it to a sufficient height. These new materials, as has been 

 already noticed, should, in the operation of mixing, be kept 

 well down towards the bottom, and a sufficient quantity of 

 half-decayed tan or leaves brought up to the surface, in which 

 the pots will be plunged. While the bed is thus preparing, 

 select out of the succession-pits a sufficient number of plants, 

 with which to fill the fruiting-pit again. If it be intended to 

 fruit another set of plants during the autumn, such being con- 

 siderably advanced already, they are to be fitted for going 

 into this stage of growth by following the same directions as 

 were laid down in February, as far as regards shifting, plung- 

 ing, and otherwise arranging the plants. 



But if it be intended, which is more generally the case, that 

 the fruiting-pits be now filled with those which were succession- 

 plants formerly, and which will now be healthy and strong, if 

 the directions given in the foregoing months have been attended 

 to ; preparatory to their being removed into the fruiting com- 



