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CULTIVATION OF THE PINEAPPLE WITHOUT POTS. 
CULTIVATION OF THE PINEAPPLE WITHOUT POTS. 
By Mr. Fleming , Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Sutherland , 
Trentham, Staffordshire. 
Among the many improvements made in the cultivation of the Pineapple, within the 
last few years, that of growing the plants in beds of soil, heated below by means of tanks 
or pipes, undoubtedly stands in the first rank. Although the old method of growing them 
in pots plunged in tan or other fermenting material, was very successful when properly 
attended to ; and many clever horticulturists still prefer that method ; experience has 
satisfied me that planting out is not only more natural, but far more economical, and 
more generally satisfactory in its results than the old system could be under the most 
careful management. 
It is now a general practice to use tanks for supplying bottom -heat to Pine-pits ; but 
after carefully testing them, I am most decidedly opposed to them. In the first outlay 
they are very expensive, and they are inconvenient in working, as they require a separate 
boiler, or else the top and bottom-heat cannot be worked together ; and even if the top- 
heat is turned off in the day, the smallest fault in the tap allows the water to escape into 
the lower series and to overflow the tanks. 
In preference to this system, I have my pits constructed with only one series of pipes, 
which, after passing round the house and supplying the top-heat, return beneath the bed 
and supply the bottom-heat also. I am aware that many will object to this method ; and 
I therefore think it necessary to state, that this is not an unproved idea, but that I have 
practised it for several years with perfect success, not only with Pines, but with Melons 
also. I was at first afraid that the heat from the pipes would be too drying, but by 
judicious watering this is prevented ; as a convincing proof of this, I may mention that 
we have frequently found healthy roots within a few inches of the pipes. 
The advocates of the tank system lay much stress upon the soil being kept in a moist 
healthy growing state by the constant evaporation beneath it ; this, however, is not the 
case, as the moisture rising from the tank becomes condensed in the soil, in much greater 
quantity than can be taken up by the roots, and has no other means of passing off, as the 
atmosphere of the house is too moist to admit of a great degree of evaporation from the 
surface of the bed. The natural consequence of this accumulation of moisture is, that 
the soil becomes saturated to such a degree, that in less than a year it is no longer in a 
healthy state for the roots, and in the course of fifteen or eighteen months, when the fruit 
should be swelling, the evil has reached its climax, and the gardener who expects to see 
his fruit swell up to more than ordinary magnitude, as a reward due to him for a long 
season of care and anxiety, is frequently disappointed. 
I place the bottom-heat pipes on a bed of gravel or sand, about twenty-two inches 
below the line intended for the surface of the bed ; the space between the pipes is then 
filled up with coarse gravel to the depth of six inches, just sufficient to cover the pipes ; 
a four-inch layer of oak-leaves or new tan is placed over this, leaving about twelve inches 
for soil, which should consist of one-third sandy peat in a rough state, and two-thirds of 
turf from an old sandy pasture, which should be sufficiently charred to destroy all animal 
and vegetable life. In planting, it is a mistaken idea to suppose that anything is gained 
by crowding. The size and flavour of the fruit depend very much upon the health and 
vigour of the plants, which in their turn depend very much upon the facility with which 
the rays of the sun have access to the leaves and to the soil. If the plants are crowded 
together, they debar each other from these advantages, and very much impede the free 
circulation of the air amongst their foliage. The pine naturally spreads out its leaves in 
such a manner as to expose the greatest surface to the direct rays of the sun ; if by 
close planting the leaves are compelled to take an upright position, much of this elaborative 
surface is concealed from the sun, and is rendered comparatively useless. 
Care should be taken to avoid treading on the soil either before or after planting ; 
the best method of proceeding to prevent this, is to put the soil in for the back row first, 
and to plant it before the soil is put in for the remaining rows ; proceed in the same manner 
with the second and third rows, and with all except the front one. They should be planted 
