
- FEBRUARY. 49 
which after a few months begins to decay, and affords good pasturage 
for the Pine roots, which are no doubt greatly encouraged by the genial 
warmth of the bed below; at any rate the growth of the plants far 
exceeds anything of the kind we ever witnessed with plants in pots, or 
even all the attempts to grow them in the free soil over hot-water 
pipes. One division of the pit was filled with plants of the smooth- 
leaved variety of Cayenne, perhaps in the whole 85 plants,—and as 
our readers will understand what the vigour and size of the plants 
must be to produce the fruit we saw on them, we have obtained from 
Mr. Ingram the weight of a few of the largest, and also the average 
weight of the crop, a result, we venture to say, unparalleled by any 
previous attempts at Pine growing in this.country or elsewhere.* 
The successions are grown on the same principle, the suckers being 
planted out in low pits in loam as above, and over a bed of leaves ; 
here they grow for 6, 8, or 10 months, as it may happen, before they 
are wanted to fill up the fruiting-houses, when they are merely lifted 
with a fork and carried to the fruiting-pits. The kinds grown are, the 
smooth Cayenne (of which one pit was entirely: composed when 
we saw them), Queens, and the Prickly Cayenne, This system seems 
peculiarly to suit the Cayenne, of which no better evidence can be 
stated than the weight of the fruit appended, which has. been produced 
from plants only 9 months old, and at the most trifling comparative 
cost. Mr. Ingram has most wisely given up growing Pines in pots for 
some years, and we think the extraordinary success of his system 
merits the widest application; and he has our best thanks. for allowing 
us to make it known. 
THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS. 
VERBENAS. 
As the day fatal to grouse, but beloved by senators and their friends— 
the 12th of August—draws nigh, there becomes a gradual disinclination 
on the part of the collective wisdom of the nation to attend to business, 
and considering that at present that business is carried on over the by 
no means fragrant waters of Father Thames, it is, perhaps, to say the 
least, excusable, that a man of sense should prefer, to close committee 
rooms of the House, the fresh breezes of the Scotch mountains, or the 
fragrant heather to the stinking waters of the river; and thus it is that 
what is popularly called the ‘‘ Slaughter of the Innocents” takes place. 
Dear little bills, which aspirant members have introduced, which they 
have anxiously watched over, using every means to get them noticed 
and carried on, are consigned to neglect and destruction, and dropped 
pills are quite as numerous as dropped grouse for a time, much to the 
grief of the constituents, who have considered their member as a legis~ 
lator, and “no mistake.” I had this scene in my eye when a friend and 

* The average weight of 6 of the largest fruit in this pit was 8 lbs. ; average 
weight of entire crop, 53 lbs. 
VOL. XIV., NO. CXLVI. E 
