Thirdly, the old ball continually remaining after the frequent shiftings, it will be too large, when put into the fruiting-pot, to admit of a sufficient quantity of fresh mould to support the plant till its fruit becomes ripe, which is generally a whole year from the last time of shifting. It is an object of emulation amongst gardeners to try to excel their neighbours in the size of their Pines. In order to produce very large fruit, I recommend the following method, which I have often practised with great success. In the month of April or May, it is easy to distinguish, in a stove of Pines, which plants promise to produce the best fruit: this is not always the case with the largest. A few of the most promising being marked, a small iron rod, made with a sharp angular point, may be thrust down the centre of the sucker; which, being turned two or three times round, will drill out the centre, and prevent its growing. This must be performed on all the suckers as fast as they appear. Thus the plant being plentifully supplied with water, and having nothing to support but the fruit, will sometimes grow amazingly large. But this method should not be practised on too many plants, as it is attended with the entire loss of all the suckers. It being a practice with some to fruit the Pine by setting the _pot_ in water; while others produce the fruit by setting the _plant_ only in water, (in a similar manner to what is often practised with Hyacinths and other bulbous roots,) the passing over these methods in silence may, by some, be deemed an omission: but as neither of these methods can be reduced to practice with any kind of success, except on fruiting plants, and just in the hot summer months, when the situation of the plant ought to be very near to the glass, they do not seem calculated for general practice. However, as some persons are inclined to suppose that Pines raised by these methods are generally of superior quality, I shall just beg to say, that the first method, of setting the _pot_ in water, is greatly to be preferred, and that the best time for adopting it is immediately after the plants have shown fruit in the spring. Mr. Speechly is minute in his directions as to air, water, the use of leaves instead of bark, the application of fire, heat, &c.; but as all these instructions are more to be considered as applicable to the general management of the hot-house, than the particular treatment of the Pine-apple, we do not think it advisable to trouble the reader with their perusal. [Illustration: 9]