July.] THE HOT-HOUSE. 455 
ing it so as to expose a considerable surface to the summer sun, as 
well as to the frosts in winter: but in wet weather it will be proper 
to gather it up into a high ridge, to prevent its rich juices being 
dissolved and carried away by water. If a quantity of sheeps dung 
could be collected fresh and mixed therewith, in the first instance, 
it would greatly improve it. 
1. Having the above prepared, and made fine with the spade, but 
not screened; to three barrow fulls of it, add one of vegetable 
mould of decayed Oak-leaves, and half a barrow full of coarse sand, 
observing, however, that if the soil from which the turf had been 
taken, inclined any way to sand, that should be now omitted. This 
makes a proper compost for Crowns, Suckers, and Young Plants. 
2. To make a compost for Fruiting Plants, use three barrows of 
the above reduced sward, two of the vegetable mould, one of coarse 
sand, and one fourth of a barrow of soot. 
The above compost, should be made some months before want- 
ed; and very frequently turned during that time, that the different 
mixtures may get well and uniformly incorporated. As to the 
quantity of sand to be added, you must be governed by the nature 
of the soil from whence the turf was taken; for too great a portion 
of sand would be injurious, and subject many of the young plants 
to go into fruit before the proper period. 
Where oak-leaves are not used in Hot-houses, or for hot-beds, 
&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 suffi- 
ciently 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 re- 
duced 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 cut 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 particularly 
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 scissars, which 
