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._ The succession, or nursing pits, according to Mr.
Baldwin’s plan (fig. 11.), in which the young plants are to remain both
winter and summer, should be constructed of timber, seven feet wide, and
seven feet three inches high at the back, the front being in the same
proportion. The method of preparing the bed is as follows:--“Sink your
pit (2.) three feet three inches deep, as long as you require, and
sufficiently broad to admit of linings on each side (1, 1.); make a good
drain at the bottom of the pit to keep it dry; then set posts, about the
dimensions of six inches square, in the pit, at convenient distances,
(say about the width of the top lights,) and case it round with one inch
and a half deal wrought boards, above the surface, and below with any
inferior boards or planks. The dimensions of my succession-bed or frame,
are thirty-nine feet long, and seven feet wide; containing two hundred
and seventy-three square feet, which will hold three hundred and fifty
suckers, from the end of September till the seventh of April.”
_Soil._ “From old pasture or meadow ground strip off the turf, and dig
to the depth of six or eight inches, according to the goodness of the
soil; draw the whole together to some convenient place, and mix it with
one-half of good rotten dung; frequently turn it over for twelve months,
and it will be fit for use. This is the only compost dung for young and
old plants.”
_General management._ The general practice of Mr. Baldwin is to take the
suckers from the fruiting plants about the end of September, and lay
them in a warm place for about three days; he then pulls off a few of
their bottom leaves, which makes them ready for planting. “In making
your bed,” he says, “lay three-fourths of new tan at the bottom of the
pit, and lay old tan upon that, to reach within three inches of the top;
on the surface of this sift old tan to the thickness of three inches,
beating it down well with the spade, then plant the suckers in the tan
about four or five inches apart, according to the size of the plants,
placing the tallest in the backside of the frame, and the shortest in
the front. In this situation let them remain till the month of April
following; then take up the plants out of the tan-bed, and divest them
of all their root; and remember that at any future transplanting the
roots must not be taken off. Plant them in pots of five, six, and seven
inches diameter, according to the size of the plants, but before
planting let the pots be filled with the prepared compost already
mentioned. About the middle of June following, when the pots are
beginning to be filled with roots, take out the plants with their balls
whole, and plant them in pots about nine inches in diameter, being
filled with the same rich compost, replanting them into the bed, and let
them remain there till the end of September. Be careful at each
transplanting, while the plants are out of the beds, to have the beds
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