July.] " THE HOT-HOUSE. 457 
&c. the vegetable mould may be made by laying a quantity of them 
together, as soon as they fall from the trees, in a heap sufficiently 
large to ferment. They should be covered at first for some time, 
to prevent the upper leaves from being blown away; the heap must 
afterwards be frequently turned, and kept clean from weeds; the 
leaves will be two years before they are sufficiently reduced to be 
fit for use. 
Keep the different heaps of compost at all times free from weeds, 
turn them frequently, and round them up in rainy seasons; but 
they should be spread out in continued frosts, and in fine weather. 
Raising the Pines by Crowns. 
The crown is perfected at the time when the pine apple is quite 
yellow; therefore the crowns of such fruit may be planted in two 
or three days after being taken off"; but if the fruit be tut green, as 
is practised by some persons with the queen-pine, or if only the 
top of the fruit be green when cut, as is the case frequently with 
the sugar loaf kinds, even when the principal part is thoroughly 
ripened, then it will be necessary to let the crowns of such fruit 
lie five, six, or seven days, after they are taken off', in a shady part 
of the hot-house, in order that the wounds should dry, and particu- 
larly to give them that degree of maturity to which nature was not 
allowed to conduct them. 
The crowns may then be planted in small pots and plunged into 
the tan-pit, where they will soon strike root, and get into a growing 
state. But before the crowns are planted their lower or bottom 
leaves should be cut off" close with a knife or pair of scissors, which 
will cause them to decay much sooner, and make room for the roots 
to be produced with the greater ease. 
The crowns will require but very little water till they have taken 
root, and are in a growing state; when it maybe administered more 
freely, but always with a sparing hand. 
Raising the Fine by Suckers. 
As the fruit of the pine apple is the principal object and sole 
reward of the great expense attendant on its management, few per- 
sons choose to permit the suckers to remain on the plants till they 
grow very large, as they would injure the fruit and prevent its 
swelling; they are, therefore, generally stopped in growth, or 
taken off as soon as it can be done with safety; but when a stock 
of plants is the object, the additional advantage which might be 
gained in the fruit is given up, or at least of as many as will pro- 
duce the number of suckers required, in order to encourage their 
growth, and are permitted to remain on the old stocks or plants 
even for some time after the fruit is cut. In this situation the 
suckers will grow very large, provided the stools are plentifully 
supplied with water. 
The suckers should not be taken from the plants till they are 
grown to the length of about twelve inches, when their bottoms 
3 K 
