64 
PINE PLANTS, &C. 
ARTICLE VII. 
ON THE INJURY PINE PLANTS SUSTAIN BY WATER BEING 
ALLOWED TO STAND IN THEIR HEARTS. 
AND 
ON PREPARING STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING. 
BY MR. WM. BROWN, .TUN. 
Water being allowed to remain in the the hearts of Pine plants, is 
probably a circumstance less regarded than it ought to be; its pre¬ 
judicial effects are, more or less observable to every person occupied 
in stoves amongst pines, especially at the early part of the year. The 
strongest and finest plants (whether Queens, Black Jamaica, Mont¬ 
serrat, or any other sorts) show fruit much sooner than the weak ones, 
and not unfrequently begin to form as early as January or February. 
Now if water he allowed to stand in the centre of the plants, the 
fruit are almost sure to come up deformed, and at the spring renova¬ 
tion the plants are only fit to throw to the rubbish heap, it not being 
desirable to propogate from such. If plants are allowed to stand too 
thick, and become drawn, they are also liable when they show early, 
to produce deformed fruit; they therefore require considerable care 
as soon as symptoms of fruiting are perceptible. To draw the water 
from the hearts of the plants 10 
I should recommend a syringe . 
resembling fig. 10. The sock- ** 
et ( a) in which the sucker ( b ) works, is 3 feet long, and has at the 
end a thin pipe (c) 10 inches long, and which goes down into the 
heart of the plant, and through which the water is drawn by the 
sucker. The St. Vincent’s pine scarcely ever grows deformed, and 
may almost be considered superior to the Queen for a select collection. 
B= 
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i 
“£ 0 > 
To prepare Strawberries for forcing .—In the month of May, 
before the runners begin to grow, the ground on each side the plant 
should be forked up, and a little leaf mould added, that the runners 
may strike and grow more freely. When they have grown consi¬ 
derably it will be necessary to thin them out, to prevent their being 
drawn, and rendered useless. I would recommend going over them 
with the hand, and pegging each down to the earth; by this means 
they will strike root sooner, and make finer plants than when left to 
