NOVEMBER. 



167 



I train the plants to a trellis a foot from the glass, and as they grow they 

 show fruit at every joint ; but we have usually plenty of fruit in frames until 

 November, so I keep almost all pinched- off. At the same time the shoots are 

 stopped to give the plants extra strength. I give a bottom heat of 80 y to 85S 

 through October, with a day temperature of 70 p to 80° sun heat ; night heat 

 65° to 70° with air — in fact I have, until the nights get very cold, each light 

 down quite 8 inches and often 6 inches, and as the soil is soon full of roots, 

 in the bright autumn days they often require a good soaking of water, and 

 the evaporating- pans kept full of water ; but in the dull short days I leave the 

 pans empty, nights especially, in sharp frosty weather, and only sprinkle the 

 Dec! and walk, excepting in dry days ; but then I have the pans empty by 

 night. I allow the bottom heat to gradually go down to 70°, and top heat to 

 about 60° night and 70° days, and never stop any shoots for about two months 

 in the dead of winter. I fumigate with tobacco paper once a-week, and 

 sprinkle a little flowers of sulphur on the pipes occasionally to keep down 

 thrips and red spider ; and as the days lengthen and light increases, gradually 

 raise the bottom heat to the early autumn range, and the top heat from 75° to 80°, 

 syringe and shut up early on bright days, and by the beginning of March the 

 plants will be in full vigour again. 



By this method I have always plenty of Cucumbers through the winter 

 from a small number of plants — in fact, I have never been without Cucumbers 

 for four years at any time, and the plants bear better than young plants in the 

 spring, and would continue through the summer ; but the pit is required for 

 other purposes, and dung-frame Cucumbers require less attention than by any 

 other method in the summer. 



I may add I grow a hybrid raised here, but which I have never been able 

 to seed, but kept it by cuttings — a plan which I prefer, as the plants do not 

 grow extra strong at first but will bear from the cutting-pot. 



Teddesley Gardens, Stafford. James Taplin. 



SMOOTH CAYENNE PINE APPLE. 



As there appears a difference of opinion among your correspondents as to 

 the merits and faults of this Pine, I have taken the liberty of offering a few 

 remarks from my own experience of several years' trial. 



I consider it one of the most useful Pines grown for autumn and winter 

 use, but as a summer fruit I will not say so much in its favour. It certainly 

 does not keep so long when cut as the Black Jamaica ; but I do not make a 

 rule to cut Pines as soon as ripe if I want to keep them for any length of time, 

 but cut off about half the length of leaves, and stand the fruit in a cold fruit- 

 room, and cut the fruit when required for use : by so doing J often keep them 

 for three or four weeks in perfection, which I think is long enough under 

 ordinary circumstances. I do not know any Pine so easily grown as the 

 above, as it grows and roots so free and strong, making large stocky plants in 

 a very short time, but making very few suckers. Where large showy Pines 

 are required through the winter, the 'Smooth Cayenne is the only variety to be 

 depended on. 



I have seen the fruit, as "M. S." remarks, begin to decay at the bottom 

 before it was ripe at top ; but I think that is seldom the case when moderately 

 dry at the root and in the atmosphere at the time of colouring. I have also heard 

 complaints of the fruit cutting black at the centre when sent to table, which I 

 think is the case with all Pines if the blossom is wetted when in flower, or if 

 the atmosphere is too close and moist at the same stage, more especially when 



