“Once, by way of experiment, in a small hot-house, I made up a bed in the pit of it in the month of October, and laid upon the surface of the bed one foot thick of good earth, and turned out of their pots fine Pine Apple plants, intended to fruit the succeeding year, and I set the plants into the earth on the surface of the bed with the balls of earth about their roots undisturbed. In this situation they grew exceedingly well, and shewed fruit very strong, but the heat in the bed under them became too faint in the month of April: and with all the atmospherical heat that I could give them, the fruit did not ripen well for want of heat to the roots of the plants; and I was not able to contrive any method to recruit it, which required to be done in the month of March or April.
“According to the foregoing account, this celebrated and experienced gardener plants the suckers of the Pine Apple in the latter end of September, and he divests them of all their roots in the month of April. In this method of process I must differ from him, because the young plants have only six months (being the slowest growing months of the year) to make roots, and then these roots are entirely cut off, which considerably retards the plants in their growth. And, according to his method, and mine also, the queen and some other sorts of the Pine, ripen their fruit in a shorter period of time than two years after planting. He says, he never waters his Pine plants in the broad-cast way over their heads and leaves. In this I also differ with him, for I think, giving the plants water all over their leaves occasionally, especially in hot weather, is of service to them, and which indeed is only imitating nature.
“I say not that Pine Apple plants will not do well without giving them water all over their leaves, for if hot-houses be kept in a good state of temperature for the growth of the Pine Apple, the great evaporation of the tan-bed, and of the moist earth about the roots of the plants, may supply the leaves sufficiently with water, especially in houses managed in the way this real practical gardener says he manages his Pine plants; that is, his hot-houses are very close, and he admits no air at the roof, so that the moist air which ascends up is thrown back among the plants. I would here remark, that when Pine Apple plants are watered all over their leaves when in fruit, the water should not be suffered to stand long in the heart of the crowns on the fruit, which it will seldom do if the heat in the house be good, but with a little care the plants may be watered all over their leaves, without letting it fall on the fruit, or the crowns of them.
“He recommends that beds for the culture of the Pine Apple be built of wood: excepting it be oak, which is dear, other sorts of timber will not last long in such a situation; and therefore, for this and other reasons, (given in Section VII. [page 67]), I think beds built of brick, in a similar way to the one I invented, are preferable, and in the end cheaper than those of wood.
“With regard to the method which this gardener useth to destroy insects on Pine Apple plants, it is a troublesome operation, and can be practised only on young plants, and indeed, according to his own account, insects on the Pine Apple may be destroyed in the course of their culture, which coincides exactly with the methods I used and recommend to be carried into practice by those who have the management of Pine Apple plants, and are troubled with insects. I have no doubt but his method of laying young plants in a hot-bed of rank dung, will effectually destroy the insects, though I think, however, they had best remain in the bed longer than one hour; but perhaps remaining even an hour, or a longer time, in such a dreadful situation, where I conceive no animal could long exist, might hurt the plants, if not destroy them. But let it be remembered, that if Pine plants be perfectly free of insects, if they are put into a hot-house where the scale or the bug insects are in the tan, or in any part of the house, the insects will find their way to creep to the Pines and breed upon them; for these insects are natural to the plant.”
Sect. XI.
Culture of the Pine Apple as given in Abercrombie’s Practical Gardener, edited by Mr. James Mean, head gardener to Sir Abraham Hume, Bart. at Wormleybury, in Hertfordshire.
The culture of the Pine Apple was given by John Abercrombie, in his “Every man his own Gardener,” when that work was originally published in 1780; but we prefer taking it from the work above cited, as giving the modern practice. It is proper to observe, however, that the directions in the “Practical Gardener” are much less to be depended on than those given by M’Phail and Baldwin; for as the first of these authors observes, in his preface to the Gardener’s Remembrancer, the Practical Gardener has been evidently dressed up, and in some parts rather affectedly, by some man who knew little of the practice of gardening. As to what Mr. Mean may have done in revising the book, it is more certain that he has not done enough, than that he has done any thing, for there are many passages, besides those pointed out by M’Phail, that appear quite ridiculous as coming from a practical gardener. Notwithstanding these faults, however, which would have escaped unnoticed in a less valuable book, “The Practical Gardener” is the best book of its kind extant.
Form of House. “The fruiting-house,” he says, “need not be higher than five feet in front, and eight feet six inches at the back wall; or, whatever be the breadth of the house, the difference between the height in front and in rear, need not exceed one-third of the breadth.” By this means the chamber of air to be heated will be materially reduced. To give a full command over the temperature of this air, let the lappings of the panes of glass be closed with putty.
The roof of the succession-house may be four or six inches lower than that of the fruiting-house; and the roof of the nursing-pit may be a foot lower than that of the fruiting-house.
Soil. The soil recommended is nearly the same as that used by Nicol. It consists of:—“1. Vegetable mould; 2. The top-spit earth from an upland pasture, loamy, friable, and well reduced; 3. Hard-fed dung, rotted and mellowed by at least a year’s preparation; 4. Small, pearly river-gravel; 5. White sea-sand; 6. Shell-marl.