450 



CULTURE OF THE PINE-APPLE. 



and felt, to ascertain the heat), lest the roots, on reaching the sides of the 

 pots, should be burned. At this stage we gave air at 80", and allowed the 

 temperature to rise to 95°. As the season advanced, we sprinkled the plants 

 overhead more frequently : in April, about once a week ; in IMay, about 

 once in four days ; and in the hottest weather, every other evening. In 

 June, we turned them out of the pots, leaving their balls entire. We then 

 potted the largest of them in No. 12-sized pots, leaving the surface of the 

 soil 1^ inch below the top of the pot ; the balls of the rest we partially 

 reduced, and potted in No. 24-sized pots. The bark bed was then forked 

 over, and made good by sifting out the rotten bark from the top and sides, 

 and adding fresh at the bottom. After the bed had been well trodden and 

 levelled, we replunged the plants in it about two-thirds the depth of their 

 potSj keeping them close and shading them, &c., as before. The tempera- 

 ture at sunrise was now about 75° ; the maximum by day was 100°, giving 

 air, as before, at 80°. The second w^eek in August, we shifted the plants in 

 No. 24-sized pots into No. 1 2's, top-soiling at the same time those already in 

 12's. The pots of the latter size at this time were full of roots ; and their 

 lower leaves confining 3'oung roots in their sockets, we displaced them, and 

 replunged the pot about three inches deep in a heat which at that depth was 

 100°, plunging and treating the plants newly potted as we did those potted 

 in June. The plants being now finally stationed in the finishing pit above 

 described (fig. 337), on a bark bed 4^ feet deep, with dung and fire-heat at 

 command, showed fruit generally on the 1st of September. The maximum 

 by day, with plenty of air, w^as now 110°, and at sunrise about 80°. About 

 Sept. 20th, several of the plants were in flower. As the season declined, 

 we lowered the temperature, our standard for the winter being 60° at sun- 

 rise, and the maximum by day 90°. In cloudy damp weather, we fired by 

 day to 63° or 70°, for the purpose of giving air to carry ofi" the damp. When 

 a dry sunny day occurred, we generally seized the opportunity to sprinkle 

 the plants overhead with, clean water, in a tepid state, in the early part of 

 the day, for the purpose of dislodging the mouldiness that settled on the 

 fruit from the closeness and humidity of the atmosphere. As the fruit began 

 to colour, towai'ds February, more fire-heat and more air -were given. The 

 maximum by day, with sun-heat and a flue seldom cold, was now 100°, and 

 at sunrise 60°. Under tliis mode of treatment three specimens were grown, 

 which were exhibited at the gardens of the London Horticultural Society on 

 May 10, 1834, along with three dishes of grapes, for which their gold medal 

 was awarded to Mr. Dowding. (^Idem, p. 24.) 



950. Growing the pine-apple in beds of soil. — This has not been much 

 done in Britain ; but in Munich, in 1828, it had been practised for five years 

 in the ro^^al kitchen-gardens there. It is attended with far less trouble than 

 any other mode of pine culture, and has this immense advantage, — that as 

 there are suckers on the stems in all stages of growth, fruit is produced 

 at all seasons of the year. At Munich, the court-gardener, Mr. Lang, 

 informs us (G. M. v. 480) that he had practised the mode of growing pine- 

 apples in beds of soil in. low pits for five years, and had cut ripe fruit from 

 the plants every month in the year during the whole of that period. The 

 only objection that can be brought against this mode is, that the fruit is not 

 very large ; but we can afiirm, from having seen the fi'uit thus produced at 

 Munich, and also in the royal forcing-ground at Versailles, that it is of a 

 very fitting size for a small family. By the aid of hot water, peat soil. 



