204 
THE PINE-APPLE, ITS CULTIVATION. 
but nevertheless will have greatly advanced, 
and may grow on well till they may have 
their last shift. 
When the plants have advanced enough to 
have their last shift, let them be removed 
with their balls whole, and without damaging 
any of their fibres ; and here they may re- 
main till they fruit, simply continuing the 
heat as directed, the atmosphere moist by the 
repeated syringing, and the temperature pro- 
per for the time of year. When any of the 
fruit is cut, we now adopt Mr. Hamilton's 
system, though we had never seen it until 
after his book was published, when we met a 
pupil of his, at Manchester, with a specimen 
grown on his system. It was the practice 
with pine-growers to take off the suckers, and 
throw away the old plant ; but his plan is to 
let the best remain on, strip all the leaves off 
that are below it, and even a part of its 
own, and then earth it up ; that is, put earth 
sufficient to cover up the lower part of the 
sucker. He always potted them low down 
in the pot, to enable him to do this ; but this 
could be more conveniently managed by rims 
to go on the pot, which might easily be made 
to slip over the plant, and add two or three or 
more inches to its height. The sucker not 
being detached from the old plant, rapidly 
grows, and strikes roots into the soil ; so that 
it has a double share of nourishment ; and 
the second fruit is often better than the first ; 
but if there be another sucker, the same plan 
may be continued for a third, or even a fourth. 
When the sucker is too high up the plant to 
be earthed up, he shakes the earth from the 
roots, and cuts off all the old plant close above 
the sucker, and as much only of the roots as 
will enable him to pack the old root low 
enough down into the pot to bring the sucker 
to its proper place. This fourth sucker from 
one plant has been known to bring fruit 
heavier than the third, and the third and 
second both heavier than the first. This does 
not always result as a matter of course ; but 
it is certain that the sucker fruits many 
months sooner, and much better, when not 
detached from the parent plant. 
For those who desire to grow their pines 
for a particular season, it is well to have par- 
ticular seasons for all the operations ; but for 
private growers, pines should be always kept 
going. Crowns should not be saved until 
there is enough to make up a bed ; but as 
they are ready, let them be struck. Again : 
when any plant is throwing off two or more 
suckers, let all but the best be removed, and 
stuck in the tan, or in pots, to root. It is far 
better, in supplying a family, to have plants 
and fruit in all stages, than it would be to 
have a glut at one time, and a great 
scarcity, or none, at another. We can speak 
from experience of the efficacy of Mr. Ha- 
milton's system of continuing to fruit the 
suckers on old plants, instead 'of detaching 
them, and striking them as separate plants. 
There is very little doubt in our mind that 
the pine would continue throwing out suckers 
and fruiting them well, even if the suckers 
were fruited on the old plant without 
earthing up, though they might not be so 
large. 
Is has been a practice, by some growers, to 
turn out fruiting plants into the tan itself, 
with their balls entire ; and they are said to 
have progressed rapidly and fruited well ; but 
there are two or three points to be attended 
to in this. At Thornfield, near Stockport, 
they stirred up and levelled the old tan, trod 
and pressed it down, and then put ten inches 
of new tan upon it, and in this new tan 
planted the balls of earth as they left 'their 
pots. It was found, then, that the old tan 
would not do to grow in, and brought the 
fruit smaller. They also found foreign tan 
objectionable, from there being a mixture of 
the barks of resinous woods in it. It was, 
however, found very beneficial to put three 
inches of fresh tan just as the plants began to 
show their fruit, and to press it down on the 
roots ; and they are said to have not only 
swelled their fruit better, but also to have 
thrown such enormous suckers, that it is to 
be greatly regretted they had not been fruited 
in the tan, on the old plants. We do not 
know whether the earthing up to the suckers 
will be found absolutely necessary ; but if it 
were, what excellent opportunity the planting 
in tan affords, for there it is only necessary to 
add to the quantity of tan in the bed, and 
make it go as high up the plant as we please. 
Mr. Knight used to plant the suckers some- 
times with the old stool attached, but making 
no practice of it, and not attending to any 
regular system. Mr. Hamilton recommends 
those who intend to begin the sucker system 
to turn out all the fruiting plants into tan, 
and when the fruit is cut, to add fresh tan, or 
sink the plants lower ; but no plan can be 
better than adding tan on the surface, be- 
cause no roots would be disturbed; and it has 
always been found that the roots run about 
among the tan very near the surface. Besides, 
as it has been proved how advantageous it 
was to add three inches on the surface, when 
the plants show fruit, there can be little doubt 
but that the very fact of adding to reach the 
sucker would have the same effect on the 
roots of the old stool. We are averse to 
great checks. We always opposed the dis- 
rooting of plants when potted for fruiting, 
except for market-gardeners ; they do not 
want large fruit, but quickly-grown fruit, — 
and they want it at particular seasons, which 
