APEIL. 
83 
qucE Sonderiusce floruit, 1G62.’ A plant flowered at Leipsic in 1700. Mr. Cowell, in 1729, 
flowered one at his garden in IToxton; and this, he asserts, was the first seen in England, 
the others, mentioned above, not being the true American Aloe. There is a plate of this 
plant, by Kirkall, in mezzotinto, dated September 23, 1729. Another flowered at Eaton 
Hall, in 1737 ; a plate of it, engraved by Toms from a drawing by Badeslade, bearing date 
November of that year. This plant opened the crown for flowering on June 5th ; the stem- 
bud appeared on the loth, and grew 5 inches a-day for some weeks; the flower-branches 
were perfected in twelve weeks, and then it stood for a month while the buds were forming; 
the number of flowers was about 1050. Two plants, about fifty years of age, flowered at 
Hampton Court in 1743, their respective heights being 27 feet and 24 feet. The flower-stems 
appeared on June 3rd, were in perfection in the middle of August, and continued blooming 
till the middle of October. A plant which flowered near Carlsbad in 1754 was 26 feet high, 
and produced twenty-eight branches, which bore above 3000 flowers. Another flowered at 
Leyden in 1760, and a third at Frieclricksberg, in Denmark, 22 feet high, with nineteen 
branches, and more than 4000 flowers. The tallest of which we have any account, was one 
that bloomed in the King of Prussia’s garden, and this reached 40 feet in height.” 
A Practical Treatise on tlce Culture of the Pine Apple, by David Thomson, 
Archerfield Gardens. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. 
Those who had the advantage of being present at the Edinburgh Inter 
national Show in September last, will not require to be told that the author of 
this work is a most successful cultivator of that which has been called the 
“ king of fruits and there are but few who do not know Mr. Thomson as a 
thoroughly practical writer on gardening subjects. Accordingly it will be 
found that in this treatise plain directions are given as to the mode of securing 
good crops of Pine Apples, and as these directions are the experience of one 
who has been very successful in this branch of fruit culture, they may fairly be 
supposed to lead to a like result in the case of those who properly follow them 
out. 
On the subject of pineries Mr. Thomson says :— 
“ For summer growth I would give the preference to span-roofed houses, running north 
and south. In the morning and afternoon they receive the full sun, and for a period in the 
middle of the day, when the sun is in his meridian, the Pines are, in such houses, partially 
shaded from the scorching rays of the sun, while at the same time they are exposed to a 
great diffusion of light. Such houses are decidedly the best for summer growth; but, for 
six months of the year, they do not, from their position, embrace so much direct sunshine 
as a lean-to house facing due south. Moreover, from the greater amount of glass as a 
radiating surface in span-roofed houses, they require more fire heat to keep up the tempera¬ 
ture. In these respects the lean-to gives advantages over the span-roofed pinery in what¬ 
ever position the latter is placed. For starting Pines in December and the two following 
months, as well as for swelling off fruit during winter and early spring, I recommend lean-to 
houses. 
“ For a sucker-pit, a lean-to pit is very well adapted, as the young plants can be kept near 
the glass, and well exposed to light. It will be observed that the accommodation which I 
prefer and recommend is partly span-roofed and partly lean-to. 
“ In the formation of the Pine ground, the lean-to or early houses should be on the 
north of the space selected, so that the back wall forms the shelter from the north which is 
so desirable ; the span-roofed structures to stand north and south, or at right angles with the 
early lean-to houses, and at a sufficient distance from them not to obstruct sunshine. The 
early house would thus be nearest the boiler in the back shed, and woidd form the very best 
shelter to the span-roofed or succession-pits, which should not be very high. I am aware, 
indeed, from experience, that such houses and arrangements are not absolutely necessary for 
the production of first-rate Pines ; but these arrangements afford great advantages and con¬ 
venience, and I recommend them as admirably adapted for the culture of this noble fruit. 
“ The Pino Apple being a fruit which requires a high temperature, particularly in some 
of its stages of growth, there should be a good command of heat both for top and bottom. 
It is not only a false economy to stint the amount of pipes employed, but a larger heating 
surface moderately r heated is much more conducive to the health of plants than a smaller 
surface kept at scorching heat. I therefore recommend a liberal amount of pipes and plenty 
of boiler power. Besides this, I feel fully persuaded, from my experience in the use of 
coverings applied to the glass, that, in the case of fruit swelling off during the colder months 
