CULTURE OF THE PINE- APPLE. 



447 



duce two or three races of suckers ; and by this method we generally 

 mcrease our stock of the shy-breeding black sorts. By cockscomb-like 

 crowns (that is, several crowns grown together), also, w^e increase the 

 Providence tribe rapidly. From gills (suckers on the foot-stalk of 

 the fruit), potted in thumbs or 60-sized pots, after a length of time, we 

 obtain good plants. Suckers, crowns, or gills, being got, are laid in some 

 convenient space in the stove to dry, for a few days; after which we 

 pare off the ragged part of the stumps of suckers, and pick off as many of the 

 lower leaves of both crowns and suckers as seem necessary, in order to fasten 

 the plant in the pot, and then pot them in pots proportioned to their sizes ; 

 if above a foot long, in 82-sized, and so of the rest to a gill of an inch long 

 in a thumb-pot. The soil used for this purpose is generally pure loam, 

 with about one -eighth of silver-sand. Being potted, they are wintered as 

 detailed of our practice for Queens (949), and in the month of March 

 every rooted succession pine-plant not in a fruiting-pot is turned out of 

 its pot, and has its roots examined and shortened according to its age and 

 sort, and the end it is expected to serve. Young plants of green pines w^e 

 disroot freely; older ones now about to be shifted into fruiting-pots, expected 

 to mature fruit late in autumn if the roots are lively, are potted now, pre- 

 serving their balls entire ; Providences, Envilles, &c., we disroot moderately, 

 carefully cutting off any dead or sickly roots, and, by means of a pointed 

 stick, removing all sodden and wasted soil. In shifting Jamaicas, we are 

 careful to preserve every living fibre of root, yet we displace from their 

 balls all drainage and worthless soil before repotting them. 



945. Bottom-heat, — Being potted, they are plunged about two-thu'ds m 

 a bottom-heat of not less than 95°j, and the temperature of their atmosphere 

 gradually increased (say March 22, 65° at sunrise ; and April 11, 70" at 

 sunrise ; the maximum, June, 90°). As to the time of shifting again, 

 that the state of the plants must determine : say June 1, and again, the 

 middle of August ; a uniform bottom-heat of not less than 90° being kept 

 up throughout — maximum of atmospheric temperature 100°, minimum 70°. 

 In the evenings of bright sunny days, we sprinkle the internal surface 

 lightly with a fine rose to resemble a heavy dew. 



946. As the season declines the temperature is lowered, and the standard 

 for winter is fixed at 60°, say November 1 ; the fruiting-pits are filled with 

 the best of the plants in fruiting-pots that were potted in August, the bark- 

 bed having been previously filled with tan (if not all new, new being far 

 preferable, at least all good), warm and well trodden, and the pots plunged 

 about two inches, with tan laid up between them, to be levelled around the 

 pots as the heat declines without disturbing the plants. When they are 

 wanted to start into fruit, expected to be matured by June 1, we begin by 

 increasing the minimum temperature, say on Dec. 10, to 65° ; on 17th, to 

 70° ; and on 31st, to 75°, which temperature is maintained till the fruits 

 appear emerging from their sockets, with a rise of 4° by day with artificial 

 heat, or with sun-heat 10°. The fruits being in sight (say Jan. 10), we 

 reduce the night-heat to 72° till they have done flowering (say March 5), 

 keeping the atmosphere moist, and supplying them with plenty of water at 

 their roots, and reducing the temperature (fire-heat being injurious to fruit 

 swelUng) to 70° minimum, maximum 110°, by close and moist heat. We 

 raise the bottom-heat if possible to 110°, moistening the dry surtace of the 

 bed, and filling in more fresh tan between the pots, to facilitate which the pots 



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