The different modes of cultivating the pine-apple: From its first introduction into Europe to the late improvements of T.A. Knight, esq.Loudon, J. C. (John Claudius)
History
The different modes of cultivating the pine-apple: From its first introduction into Europe to the late improvements of T.A. Knight, esq.
Loudon, J. C. (John Claudius)
Pineapple
_Form of House._ It was formerly the practice, Miller observes, to build
dry stoves, in which the plants were kept in winter, placed on
scaffolds, after the manner in which orange-trees are placed in a
green-house; and in summer, in hot-beds of tanners’ bark, under frames.
But it is now the practice, he adds, to erect low stoves, called the
succession-house, with pits therein for the hot-bed. It is also
necessary to have a bark-pit under a deep frame, for bringing forward
the suckers and crowns to supply the succession-house.
Mr. Miller’s fruiting-house has upright glasses in front, high enough to
admit a person to walk upright on the walk in front of the house. Over
the upright glasses there must be a range of sloping glasses, “which
must run to join the roof, which should come so far from the back wall
as to cover the flues and the walk behind the tan-pit; for if the
sloping glasses are of length sufficient to reach nearly over the bed,
the plants will require no more light: therefore these glasses should
not be longer than is absolutely necessary, that they may be the more
manageable.”
The difference between this stove and that of Speechly is, that in the
latter the sloping sashes reach to the back wall, by which means,
instead of a useless opaque roof over the path, an excellent place is
formed for training a vine; and this being at all times the hottest part
of the house, such vines as are there trained will produce very early
and high-flavoured fruit.
The succession-house of Miller has no upright glass, and only a walk at
the back of the house: the bark-pit may be partly sunk in the ground, if
the situation be dry; or if wet, kept above it. The flue makes three
returns against the back wall, beginning from the level of the walk.
Many persons, he says, have made tan-beds, with two flues running
through the back wall, and covered with glasses, like common hot-beds;
but, besides the inconvenience of taking off the glasses when the plants
want water, the damps rise in winter when the glasses are closely shut,
and there is danger of the tan taking fire.
The improvement on this plan consists in detaching the flue from the
back wall, and separating it from the tan by a vacuity of two or three
inches; or, what is still better, placing the flue in front similarly
detached, and surrounded by air on all sides.
[Illustration: 4]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account