110 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[November 21. 
| light is the chief regulator of the whole affair. It matters 
not what bo the subject, or from what clime, if if re¬ 
quires in-door treatment, the laws regarding light and 
heat, and their conjoint influences on the vegetable 
kingdom, are nearly identical all over tho globe. Not 
so, however, atmospheric moisturo: this, although 
abundantly present at one period of tho year in some 
hot climates, is comparatively abstracted at others; as 
our friend Mr. Appleby has shown in his eminently 
practical papers on Orchidaceous plants. Now, tho 
direct effect of this on plants which have previously, 
during tho moist and hot period, made a rapid growth, 
and hy consequence a most liberal development of parts, 
is of necessity to cause those elaborating powers which 
during active growth are in a dispersive stato, to hocomo 
more concentrated, and tho production of blossom is 
generally tho sure result. 
With a fruitful condition also is induoed a degree 
of hardihood against sovoro depression of temperature. 
Tho pseudo-buTb of tho orchid becomes compact and 
solidified, and tho wood of the poaoh, tho vino, &o., be¬ 
comes what tho practical man terms vipenod, and in 
| such tilings as tho pine-apple, a comparative cessation 
of growth takes place, and tho whole plant assumes a 
more sturdy character. 
We name this as preparatory advice connected with 
winter pine oulturo, and to point to an exceptional fea¬ 
ture ; for the pine, as to cultural matters, and the con¬ 
veniences arising from its capabilities of sustaining a 
succession in the dessert, forms an exceptional caso. 
There is no occasion to dry up the leavos of a pine 
plant as an orchid ; nay, the practice would not answer. 
Although the pine delights in an atmosphere always 
tolerably well charged with atmospheric moisture, evon 
in winter, yet that moisturo should not be allowed to 
condense into drip. 
Moreover, although it may be desirable in the case 
of full-grown pine plants to compel them to form fruit 
at a given period, for the sake of a succession, or a 
special supply, yot with young stock, which merely re¬ 
quire wintering preparatory to their full stature being 
completed during the early summer months, tho case is 
wholly different. Here, the object ought to be to keep 
the plant from sinking into that quiescent state which a 
long continued dryness of atmosphere is sure to produce. 
Under proper conditions, therefore, it appears that 
young pines may continue to grow, or to slightly in¬ 
crease in size, all the winter, provided that all tho 
light possible is ensured thorn ; and that, accordingly, all 
the enlargement which takes place is accompanied hy a 
firmness of tissue, characterized by a deep green colour, 
and by a sort of metallio firmness in tho foliage. 
It is the custom with many persons still to winter 
their young stock of pines in dung beds, or pits as thoy 
are termed. Now, this we conceive to bo a “penny-wise 
and pound-foolish ” plan, inasmuch as wo believo the 
day is nigh at hand when people will find another and 
superior use for such valuable materials, which are thus 
allowed to lie and stew away some sixty per cent, of their 
essonce, leaving a residual humus, which, although a 
thing to promote speedy root-action in many crops, is 
yot a material of slight durability, inasmuch as its 
organic texture is broken down and destroyed in tho 
most artistic way. However, since pines must bo grown 
in dung pits, and since they can bo grown well in dung 
pits, thoy must ever bo taken care of; and a little advice 
to those who are in need of it—in fact to small gar¬ 
deners—may be of service. Come we now, therefore, 
to hard practice in this affair. 
The main business through the autumn with the 
dung-pit men is so to manage affairs, as to get their 
young stock in a firm stato. To effect this a most liberal 
amount oi ventilation is had recourse to, through tho 
months of September and October. To sustain this freo 
vontilation—which would only be another name for 
starving, unless artificial heat were imparted in some 
way—recourse is had to renewed linings; and, in most ■ 
cases, to a renowed bottom-heat also. Whore timber- 
trees abound in country gardens poople generally wait 
until the fall of tho loaf, until they renew their bottom 
heats; for although we have, in broad terms, called tho 
ordinary structures “ dung pits," yet wo do not wish it to 
bo inferred, that in using a mere conventional phrase 
that nothing but dung is in vogue. Home uso a vast 
proportion of leaves—even in tho linings; some are 
compelled to “ top-up ” occasionally with the mowings 
of lawns; and most cultivators uso tan, at least as a 
plunging medium : that is to say, a means of securing a 
regular and, if possible, specific amount of bottom 
warmth, as near as may be, independent of tho atmo¬ 
sphere. 
Such, then, forms in general tho preparatory course as 
to winter culture ; or, perhaps we had better say, winter 
conservation. We will nowsuppose such steps taken, and 
that red holly berries denote tho approach of Christmas. 
The bottom heat now should bo as near as possible 75°; 
and should not bo allowed to doviato five degrees either 
above or below this point during the winter or until the 
middle of February, when an advance must take place. 
We are now supposing the plants to be plunged nearly 
their full depth. Many persons, however, having ineffi¬ 
cient structures, arc compelled to maintain a bottom 
boat of 80° to 1)0° ; but in that case the pots must only 
be plunged half' their depth. 
Whon the structure is complete, and a sufficient 
amount of heat can ho readily obtained, there will bo 
no occasion to disturb any of tho plants, for the less 
they are disturbed tho better; it will suffice to apply 
some surface tan, stirring the whole up with a powerful 
stake, and applying wator to the tan where husky. As 
before observed, a free ventilation must be used on all 
lining occasions, especially during tho forenoon of each 
day ; always taking care to close the glass soon after noon. 
The syringe must ho entirely dispensed with until the 
end ol January, for the plants will get sufficient atmo¬ 
spheric moisture from the fermenting materials. 
From the end of November until the middlo of 
January let the ordinary air of the pit range from 
55° to 00°, allowing a riso of five or six degrees 
through sunshine. The linings will require a weekly 
examination, and what is termed topping-up must be 
frequently had rooourso to; and about once a month 
tho svholo volume of linings will want trimming to tho 
bottom, removing entirely any decayed materials. Snow 
should be swept away as it falls, and not suffered to melt 
on the linings; and when very intense cold prevails and 
chilling winds, spruce boughs, or any extra protectors, 
will greatly assist in keeping up an equable tomperature. 
We have thus dwelt much on tho winter culture of 
dung-pit pinos, believing that such puzzle the novice 
more than those in housos, which are generally in a 
moro defensive stato. We may now, howevor, say some¬ 
thing about fruiters in houses, 
It may bo hero observed, that whore the bottom heat 
is very much on the decline, similar means must bo 
taken to that before described as to removal. In five 
eases out of six, tho bottom heat may bo renewod with¬ 
out disturbing the plants, which is a thing specially to 
be avoided with fruiting pines, for thoy abhor all sorts 
of meddling which has a tendency to rupture surface 
roots, recently acquired, and to dumugo their leaves. 
It is almost unnecessary to dilate on the immense bene¬ 
fits derivable from a permanent sourco of bottom heat 
as the tank ; such at once supersedes both the mischief 
incident on removal and the capricious action of fer¬ 
menting materials. 
Now fruiting pines in housos, especially those of tho 
black section, adapted for winter fruiting, such as the 
