FEBRUARY. 
selves; and even if they do not show fruit prematurely on starting into 
growth, it is frequently the beginning of June before they make a 
start, when two menths’ time at least is lost. 
Following the treatment laid down to the end of June, we shall find 
the plants again requiring more pot room. If all has gone on well, the 
pots will now be full of white healthy roots, and no time should there¬ 
fore be lost in transferring them to their fruiting pots, which must be 
13 inches wide. The soil for this shift may be somewhat heavier than 
for the former shifting, and made firm round the ball, placing this in 
the new pot so as to allow for 2 inches of new soil to go over it, when 
finishing off. These fruiting pots should be well drained, as the plants 
will have to remain in them for a twelvemonth or more. Fork up the 
bed and replunge the plants, allowing them more space between, for as 
a rule there should be a elear space between plant and plant when 
placed in the bed; the advantage of the sun and air having free 
access to every leaf cannot be overrated. The plants will not increase 
much in height when so treated, but will rather form stout bushy 
plants, with a proportionate thickness of the stem. As the season may 
now be termed warm, with plenty of light, attend to the bottom heat, 
which should be 90°. Leave a little air all night, closing early in the 
afternoon after damping, and putting on the air again about seven. Water 
as before recommended, and continue this treatment for a couple of 
months, which will bring us to the end of August, by which time they 
will have attained nearly their full development, and will be sufficiently 
advanced in growth to be placed for the first and only time in a state of 
rest. 
To suppose that any plant with the habit of the Pine requires a suc¬ 
cession of active growth and comparative repose to fulfil its functions— 
the production of fruit—is to argue on false premises. The Pine, in a 
state of nature, pushes up suckers from the old stools, which progress 
very rapidly during the wet season of a tropical climate. When the 
dry season commences this growth is arrested, and the plant after a 
time produces fruit; and the same process is repeated, and in my 
practice I make it a rule to follow as nearly as I can the same law— 
«>., never allow the plant to cease growing till it has attained its full 
size. Of course in the winter this treatment, for want of light, cannot 
be pushed so far as in the summer, but I do all I can towards it short 
of drawing the plant, or causing an undue elongation of the leaves. If 
the pit in which they are to mature their fruit is not by this time 
empty, the plants may remain where they are, but their treatment 
must be somewhat changed*; in fine days the lights should be half 
opened, to expose the plants as much as possible to the influence of the 
air and light. Water, of course, must be supplied when wanted, and 
an occasional syringing overhead, but the closing-up system must be 
given up, and the temperature reduced to 80° as a maximum by larger 
admissions of air. It is astonishing how invigorating this treatment 
will be to the plants ; by October their leaves will have become broad 
and fleshy, and so rigid that their position cannot be changed without 
fear of breaking them. As the days decline the temperature of the 
house or pit must also be reduced—60° by night will now be ample 
for October and November, and water in much less quantities. 
