The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-01-22 00:00:00

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J. Nicholson, Prescot.—Try guano and soot—one pound
of guano and two pounds of soot, to four gallons of water ;
when well mixed, add a lump of quick lime.
B.—The name is Bignonia Venusta ; it is a most beau-
tiful species.

ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE PINE APPLE.
(To the Horticultural Editor.)

Sir,—Some time back I made free to draw attention to
the cultivation of the Pine Apple, and stated my belief
that the bottom heat usually applied to this fruit is ex-
treme. I likewise stated that this belief was founded
upon my own practice, having cultivated the Pine suc-
cessfully with a bottom heat, not exceeding the average
temperature of the house they grew in. I have only now
to state, that these views, after another year's experience,
are unchanged. It would be the height of folly for me
to enter into any lengthened arguments, at this time, to
prove the position I have taken, knowing as I do that the
opinions of the best men in this neighbourhood are with
me. I will, therefore, simply state what I have done,
and with your permission, notice one or two of the argu-
ments used against what I shall call the Hamiltonian
system ! The variety which I most approve of is the
(true] Black Jamaica; it has the advantages of swelling
its fruit better than any other in winter. It likewise
retains its flavour and eating properties, after being cut,
better than any common variety ; nor has the tendency
of sending forth such numerous suckers as the Queen and
its varieties : a fault I have found belonging to all of them
after being turned out, Next, if not equal to the Jamaica,
is the Cayenne. I have only cut one fruit of this variety,
but it has proved most promising; its weight was about
4 lbs. 2 oz.. and the report of its flavour from a competent
judge, was that it was equal to the Black Jamaica; its
habit, grown in a bed of earth, is low and stocky, with a
nicely proportioned crown.
Providence Pines I have long disregarded, from their
coarseness and want of flavour ; an Enville or two may
be grown for exhibitional purposes, but they will not
stand the test of a gentleman's table. The " Queen
Pine " is still in favour of the best cultivators of the day ;
but I confess their excessive anxiety to multiply, on being
planted out, together with their other properties, not
being equal to the Jamaica, has put them out of favour
with me. It is no uncommon thing to see six or more
suckers come from a single plant (I am now speaking of
what I have seen in some of the largest establishments in
England) ; and to allow these to remain would be injudi-
cious, and to be continually wounding the stem of the
plant by their removal, cannot be less so. With. the
Jamaica I have never found any difficulty in providing a
successional sucker, invariably at the time when the fruit
begins to show, a strong offset springs from the roots of
the old plant, or a good sucker from the lower part of the
stem, showing clearly that this at all events is their
natural method of propagation. I will relate the produce
of one plant for the last three years :—ln September,
1847, I cut one: fruit, weight 4:lbs. 8 oz. ; in August, 1848,
cut one fruit, weight 5 lbs. 14 oz. ; in July, 1849, cut two
fruits, which weighed respectively 4 lbs. 2 oz. and 4 lbs.
5 oz. ; and the plant at this time looks strong and healthy.*
It is here where the Hamiltonian system has the advan-
tage over the Meudon, or transplanting system. As soon
as the old plant approaches maturity, a natural effect is
made by that which is to succeed; and by the time the