174 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[December 19. 
suppose that lie has just built a new house adapted to 
their culture, possessing ample means for producing 
artificial warmth and moisture, with a very light roof; 
and that an extra provision is made, independent of 
atmospheric heat, for insuring a bottom warmth of 80° 
at any season, if considered necessary. Eft his period 
of commencing pine culture be the second week in 
February; and we will suppose that he has purchased 
a lot of fine strong young successions in seven inch 
pots, and that, having been well wintered, the pots are 
full of roots. 
Now, to shape our remarks for tank-heated chambers 
would, we fear, be to write for the minority; as, there¬ 
fore, the management of fermenting materials is the 
most difficult, we will suppose that for the first year or 
so the pit inside is worked by such, leaving the worthy 
proprietor an easy chance of introducing tank heat 
subsequently if lie chooses. 
The second week in February is about the period with 
most good cultivators to commence a course of culture, 
rising progressively with the rising spring, and only 
declining in the ensuing autumn, through a partial 
deprivation of light; for the pine does not appear to be 
intended by nature for a state of decided rest—such is 
known in practice to be inimical to the production of 
fine fruit, although it has a tendency to cause plants to 
show fruit; such, however, in the main are but abortive. 
Well, before these pines arrive lie must make up what 
is termed a bottom heat; and the pit being some five 
or six feet in depth, he cannot do better than fill it 
three parts full of tree leaves, if he can procure them. 
If not, tan alone must be used; but as five feet of tan 
will be by far too powerful to admit of their being even 
partially plunged, what, then, is to be done ? 
In the case of old established pits, there is generally a 
lot of old tan , which when riddled, and the mere fine 
parts rejected, serves admirably in mixing to qualify and 
moderate the severe heat arising from a great body of 
new tan. We think that thirty inches of new tan is as 
much as ought to be placed in a body, if the plants are 
to be partially plunged; and, therefore, for the first 
year the excavation in the interior of the pit need be no 
deeper. The tan then is in, and now the plants must be 
repotted. Much fuss has been made about soils, com¬ 
posts, &c.; but we are persuaded that any turfy soil, 
even from a road-side, will grow them in high perfection, 
provided it is well chopped to pieces when dry, but by 
no means riddled. Nevertheless, it is very good practice 
to have a richer and mellower compost in a more decom¬ 
posed state on the potting bench, the use of which will 
be shortly described. Few things will be better for this 
purpose than the surface of an old cucumber bed— 
chopping, when dry, dung, rotten leaves, and loam 
altogether, but most of the loam, and then passing it 
through a very coarse riddle, afterwards adding one- 
sixth of charred sticks, or rubbish, such as will pass 
readily through a riddle of an inch mesh. 
Some practise shifting only a single size larger as to 
the pots; we would at once place them in pots which 
would require but one more shift: the size of the pot for 
the final shift will determine this; and pots of about 
thirteen inches diameter will be sufficiently large for 
any beginner to fruit in. 
Let us now suppose a potting bench, with the chopped 
turf on the right hand, the mixed compost on the left, 
I and plenty of drainage materials close at hand. First, 
| place three or four large crocks in such a way, as that at 
! least three bold apertures be formed, both for the escape 
i of water and the admission of gaseous matter from 
below. Over this strew broken crocks and charcoal 
lumps, large as horsebeans, until the large crocks at the 
bottom are just concealed. Then strew a layer of the 
turfy lumps out of which the loose soil has been ejected 
by shaking in a riddle. This done, the ball may at once 
be inserted, first suffering such crocks as are loose to 
dislodge themselves from the old ball. Next, throw in ' 
another layer of the turfy lumps all round the ball, and 
on these strew a couple of inches ol the mixed compost 
in a mellow state—this being finer will fall occasionally 
amongst the interstices of the turfy material; and now 
use a blunt stick, and give the whole a slight pressure 
all round the ball, in order that there may be no rocking 
or settling. Next, another layer of the turfy lumps, 
strewing a little of the compost over them ; again press 
with the stick; and now place a final coating ot the 
compost, nearly two inches in depth, all over, and level 
with the rim of the pot. The work is now done ; and 
we strongly advise that no tapping or thumping the 
bottom of the pot on the bench be allowed—the ram- I 
ming, if the soil be tolerably dry, is a much superior | 
practice. One remark may here be introduced: it not 
unfrequently happens that the balls of the pines about to 
be shifted are dry, in which case it is the best practice to 
water them, at least tluee days before they are to be shifted, 
with tepid manure water, in order to allow the moisture 
to equalise itself, and the surplus to pass away. Thus 
there will be no occasion tor any root watering for 
nearly a month after shifting; the roots will be found to 
increase much more rapidly in new soil rather dry than 
with watering. The pit having been duly prepared, the 
plants may be plunged immediately they are shifted; 
but let them by no means be more than half their depth 
in the tan. If any disrooting has become really neces¬ 
sary, and the sun shines bright, a little canvass shading 
will be a benefit for a couple of hours each day ; not, 
however, to obstruct light, but rather to prevent the too 
rapid dispersion of atmospheric moisture. 
And now for temperature, which we will give with the 
rest of our advice in a monthly digest. 
Table of 'Temperature, Day and Night, for the whole 
Year, 
as to Artificial Heat only. 
Day. 
Night. Rise in Sunshine. 
January. 
64 deg. 
00 deg. 
6 < 
leg. 
February . 
66 „ 
60 „ 
6 
99 
M arch . 
70 „ 
„ 
0 
April. 
71 „ 
64 „ 
8 
May . 
76 „ 
65 „ 
10 
99 
June . 
78 „ 
06 „ 
10 
>> 
July . 
80 „ 
68 „ 
10 
99 
August . 
HO „ 
68 „ 
10 
n 
September. 
76 „ 
63 „ 
10 
99 
October. 
73 ,, 
62 „ 
8 
99 
November. 
70 „ 
62 „ 
8 
99 
December . 
64 „ 
60 „ 
6 
99 
These temperatures will be found perhaps 
as near the 
point as can be devised; nevertheless, it may here be 
observed, that tables of this kind must not be allowed 
to guide the thermometer entirely. A good cultivator 
will take notice of the condition of his plants, and shape 
his course accordingly. If they appear “ drawn,” he 
should at once lower his night heat, as also that on dull 
days. 
And now with regard to bottom heat. We do think 
that by adding 6° to every one of the artificial day 
temperatures, as here recorded, w-e shall be as correct as 
by any tedious detail. Thus the highest months—viz., 
July and August—would give a bottom heat of 86°, 
which, in our opinion, ought never to be exceeded, on 
any pretext, in pine culture. And the lowest months— 
December and January—will give 70°, which will, 
perhaps, be quite as healthful to the plants as those high 
bottom heats sometimes recommended. 
Monthly Culture. —The plants being all plunged in 
tire new pit, trial sticks must be put in, and a bottom 
heat thermometer by all means employed. Now, here it 
ought to be well understood, that the bottom heat here 
given is meant to apply to the heat at the bottom of the 
