as 1794, when gardener at Preston Hall, near Edinburgh, and he gives the
following account of his apparatus and success in the Memoirs of the
Caledonian Horticultural Society. “The application of steam to
forcing-houses early caught my attention. The first that I designed and
executed in Scotland on this plan, were at Preston Hall in Mid-Lothian,
in the year 1794. The fruiting Pine-stove, which is in the general suite
of houses, with two peach-houses on the west, were originally adapted to
steam. I entertained the hope, that steam thrown into a chamber, in the
bottom of the plant pit, would act as a proper substitute for bottom
heat in place of tan, as none of that substance was to be found nearer
than four miles distant, and when wanted was often difficult to be
procured. Other more general considerations also made me desirous of
procuring some substitute, particularly the necessity of repeatedly
shifting the plants to renew the heat, when the bark in the plant-pit
gets cold: these shiftings, besides the trouble, often retard the growth
of the plants. Again, if the heat of the fermentation of the tan rise
much above ninety-six degrees, (which it often does), and if the pots be
fully plunged in the tan at such a time, many instances have been known
of the roots of the plants being burned, and some of them being
destroyed altogether. This, indeed, may be considered as one of the
principal reasons why so many are unsuccessful in the culture of this
fine fruit. With the view of obviating the above difficulties, the
bottom of the fruiting Pine-pit was constructed with a chamber below,
into which steam was introduced by means of copper and lead pipes from a
boiler placed in the shades behind: the top of the chamber was
constructed of rafters, on which were placed broad grey slates, laid on
loose, without filling up the vacancies between them. The not making
them close, I afterwards found to be an error; for the moisture, from
the condensation of the steam, penetrating through the openings at the
joining of the slates, communicated too much wetness to the bottom of
the pots; but I found, that there was a sufficient quantity of heat to
be obtained from the steam for heating the plant-pit, provided the
bottom were close. I therefore discontinued this plan; and I had not an
opportunity of making any farther experiment on the subject in this
place. From the same boiler, I conducted into the two peach-houses
adjoining, a range of pipes furnished with steam-cocks. They passed the
whole length of the houses, (101 f. 6 in.). By means of these, the
peach-houses were regularly steamed near one hour a-day in the evening,
in the time of flowering and of fruit-setting. Steaming, it may be
remarked, is very important at these times. In after periods, when I had
not an apparatus for the purpose, I always steamed the peach-house with
a large piece of cast-iron, made red hot in one of the furnaces, and put
into a white-iron pail nearly full of water; the whole water thus
evaporating into steam. I was always successful, while in practice as a
gardener, in raising a full crop of peaches; and think that much was
owing to attention to steaming.
“I afterwards erected Pine-stoves for John Hervey, Esq. of Castlesemple,
to be heated by steam; and one of the plant-pits had a chamber below,
with a close bottom, into which chamber, steam was thrown by means of
cast-iron pipes. About the same time, I was applied to by Sir Hew
Hamilton Dalrymple, Bart. (through Mr. James Dodds, his gardener), to
examine his Pine-stoves at Bargany, and to report whether I thought they
could be improved, as he hitherto had not been so successful in
Pine-Apples as he expected. One principal cause was, the difficulty of
obtaining tan. Upon my report, it was to be determined, whether to give
up the Pine-Apple culture altogether, or endeavour to improve the
stoves.
“Upon examining, I advised the heating of the atmosphere of the houses
with steam; and in place of using tan, the heating of the bottom of the
plant-pit with steam also.” This advice was adopted, and eighteen months
after the plan was executed, the gardener, Mr. James Dodds, gives the
follow-account of his success.
“It is now eighteen months since I first began to heat the Pine-stoves
here with steam. I have thus been enabled to give it a fair trial, and I
am fully satisfied that it is superior to the old method of heating by
fire-flues. I have found the plants to grow more luxuriantly, and
perfectly clean of any kind of _insects_. The moist heat arising from
steam is well known to be hostile to all kinds of vermin. It is,
besides, more economical: our Pine-stoves here are seventy feet long, it
formerly took two fires to keep up the heat of the atmospheric air of
the house, whereas in the new method of heating by steam, one fire to
heat the boiler is sufficient, except in very cold nights, when I have
found it necessary to light a very small fire to the flue, to meet the
decline of the steam in the morning, and this only to the fruiting-house
in the spring months, when the Pines begin to show their fruit. In
short, I have found no difficulty in keeping up the heat of the house to
sixty degrees, by making up the fire to the boiler at ten o’clock at
night, and at six o’clock in the morning.
“With regard to the bottom heat for the Pine-plants, by steam from the
same boiler, I find, by allowing the steam to remain in the chamber
below the plants about two hours a day, the pit is kept constantly at
the temperature of from ninety to ninety-five degrees, which I have
found to be as high as the roots of the plants are able to bear. I
would, therefore, say ninety degrees to be the standard height, which I
have myself adopted, allowing it to fluctuate down. If our succession
Pine-pit had been altered to have been heated by steam, as the fruiting
one is, which the boiler is perfectly able to do, the saving in tan
alone would more than pay the interest of all the money laid out on
erecting the whole steam apparatus.
“The above is my candid opinion on the subject, as far as my practice
has enabled me to speak. I am, &c.
“JAMES DODDS.”
* * * * *
The best stoves for combining the culture of the Pine and Vine in
Scotland, have been constructed by Mr. Hay, of which fine examples
occur at Lord Duncan’s, Lundie-house, near Dundee, and the Earl of
Roseberry’s, at Dulmeny-park (_fig. 23._), near Edinburgh.
[Illustration: 23]
As substitutes for tan, leaves are the common resource, but any
vegetable matter of slow putrefaction may be employed, as chopped spray
of hedges or copse, wood-shavings, saw-dust, &c. and in Scotland, it has
been found that flax-dressers’ refuse keeps up a moderate heat for a
longer period than any other material.
The mode of employing the vigour remaining in the old stock or plant
after the fruit is cut, to nourish, for a certain time, the sucker or
suckers which may be growing on it, was practised by Speechly; but
scarcely to the extent which it has been carried lately. This, we think,
a considerable improvement, if kept within certain limits; but, if
carried too far, what might be gained by the sucker coming earlier into
fruit, would be lost by the retardation of the plant’s own suckers.
On Nov. 3. 1818. “A Queen Pine, grown by Peter Marsland, Esq. of
Woodbank, near Stockport, was exhibited to the Horticultural Society. It
weighed three pounds fourteen ounces, measured seventeen inches in
circumference, and was peculiarly well-flavoured. The singularity of
this Pine was its being the produce of a sucker which had been removed
from the parent-root only six months previous to the time the fruit was
cut. The plant on which the sucker grew had produced a fruit, which was
cut in October, 1817; the old stem, with the sucker attached, was
allowed to remain in the Pine-pit till May, 1818; at that time the
sucker was broken off, potted, and plunged into a fresh pit; it soon
after showed fruit, which, in the course of four months, attained to the
weight and size above stated. Mr. Marsland is in the practice of
producing Pines in this way with equal success and expedition. His
houses are all heated by steam.” _Hort. Trans._ iv. 52.
On the 17th of Oct. 1819, specimens of the New Providence, globe, black
Antigua, and Enville, were exhibited, all which were produced in a
similar manner to the above. P. Marsland considers, that “though not of
the largest description, yet as far as beauty of form and richness of
flavour are concerned, they would not yield to fruit of more protracted
growth.” The success which has attended this gentleman’s mode of
“treating the Pine, so as to insure the production of fruit within
twelve months from the cutting of their previous produce, has been
perfectly satisfactory;” and the following is his account of it. “In
November, 1819, as soon as the fruit had been cut from the Pine plants,
which were then two years old, all the leaves were stripped off the old
stocks, nothing being left but a single sucker on each, and that the
strongest on the plant; they were then placed in a house where the heat
was about sixty degrees, and they remained till March, 1820. At this
period the suckers were broken off from the old stocks, and planted in
pots from eight to twelve inches in diameter, varying according to the
size of the sucker. It may be proper, however, to observe, that the
length of time which the young sucker is allowed to remain attached to
the mother plant, depends in some degree upon the kind of Pine; the
tardy fruiters, such as the black Antigua, and others, require to be
left longer than the Queen, and those which fruit readily.
“After the suckers had been planted, they were removed from the house,
where they had remained while on the old stock, to one in which the
temperature was raised to seventy-five degrees. Immediately upon their
striking root, the largest of the suckers showed fruit, which swelled
well, and ripened between August and November, being, on the average,
ten months from the time the fruit was cut from the old plant, and
seven months from the time the sucker was planted. The fruit so
produced, though, as may be expected, not of the largest description, I
have invariably found to be richer and higher flavoured than that grown
on older plants. The suckers of inferior strength will not show fruit in
the same season, but in the following they will yield good fruit, and
strong suckers for a succeeding year’s supply. Those suckers are to be
preferred which are produced on plants that have ripened their fruit in
November, for those taken from plants whose fruit is cut in August, or
earlier, are apt to show fruit in January or February, while yet
remaining on the mother-plant. But whenever this happens, the sucker
should be broken off immediately upon being perceived, and planted in a
pot so as to form a root of its own, to maintain its fruit.” _Hort.
Trans._ iv. 392.
This experiment shows what can be done; though it must be obvious that a
considerable part of the saving in time is lost by the small size of the
fruit. Mr. Baldwin, in our opinion, has hit on the proper use of this
mode, the principle of which, as already observed, consists in the
employment of the otherwise lost vigour of the old stock. He contrives
to produce tolerably sized fruit, and to have such a degree of vigour in
his suckers, as that they are able, in their turn, to throw out other
vigorous suckers to succeed them. In aid of this, he often earths up the
old stock, so as to cover the lower end of the sucker; and partially
wrenching it off, he, by these means, obtains for it a good stock of
roots before he renders it an independent plant.
Where heat is to be supplied from fermenting horse-dung, we should
recommend for trial a pit invented by J. West, of Castle Ashby, in
Northamptonshire. (_fig. 22._) Nine years’ experience enable its
inventor to recommend it for neatness of appearance, the power of
regulating the heat to the greatest nicety, and for forcing asparagus,
strawberries, and the most delicate kinds of cucumbers. By raising the
walls of the pit higher above the earth, it is evident it would answer
equally well for growing Pines, or forcing shrubs or tall growing
plants.
The dung is placed in a chamber (E) three feet and a half deep, being
about eighteen inches below the surface-line; the walls (G) which
surround it are nine-inch brick-work; both on the front and at the back
of the chamber are two openings (A), about two feet six inches square
each, with moveable doors, through which the dung is introduced; the
doors fit at bottom into grooves (B), and are fastened by a wooden pin
and staple at top. In front of the doors, is a small area (C) sunk in
the ground, surrounded by a curb of wood, by which the introduction or
removal of the dung is facilitated. Along the centre of the chamber is a
bar (D), which serves as a guide for packing the dung; and across the
top, at intervals of twelve inches, are placed, on their edges,
cast-iron bars (H), two inches wide, and three quarters of an inch
thick, to support a layer of small wood, bushes and leaves (I), over
which is laid the soil for the plants (K). Just below the level of the
bars all round the dung-chamber, are holes (F), passing in a sloping
direction through part of the wall into a cavity (G) in the upper part
of the wall at the back front and both ends of the pit. In the exterior
part of the back wall, are holes with plugs (L), to let out the steam
and heat at discretion.
At the commencement of forcing, half the chamber is filled
longitudinally with dung, and if the doors are kept shut, this will
afford sufficient heat from twelve to eighteen days. As the heat
declines the other half of the chamber is filled, and the temperature is
kept up by additions to the top of the dung, on either or both sides, as
it settles. When the united heat of the two sides ceases to be
sufficient, the side first filled must be cleared out, and mixed with
fresh dung and replaced, and so on, adding and turning as circumstances
require. _Hort. Trans._ iv. 220.
[Illustration: 24]
As an improvement on the construction of this pit, we would suggest the
perforation of the whole of the side walls (_fig. 24. a_), in order to
admit the steam more readily than it can find admittance by the single
range of openings adopted by Mr. West. Where pits on Mr. West’s plan
are already built, a substitute for this perforation in the side walls
may be found in the application of a wattled hurdle against them (_fig.
24. b_), as has been adopted by Mr. J. B. Mackay, in the Comte de
Vande’s garden at Bayswater.
_Remarks._--All the schemes of improvement detailed in this section, are
either of a nature never to become general, if they do succeed, as that
of Count Zuboff; or not yet sufficiently proved by experience to be
recommended for adoption, as the application of steam as a bottom heat
by Mr. Hay. We therefore leave them to work their way with the public;
and, in the mean time, till these, as well as Mr. Knight’s experiments
have established something better, we recommend all those who wish to
grow the Pine Apple in the first style of excellence, and at a moderate
expence, to adopt the pits and houses of Mr. Baldwin or Mr. Aiton; and
to imitate their practice, or that of Mr. Andrews.
THE END.
LONDON:
Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode,
New-Street-Square.
Transcriber’s Notes
Except as mentioned below, this text follows the original book in
spelling and hyphenation, including inconsistencies. In some places
the quote marks do not match; this has not been corrected.
Changes made to the text:
Some missing or erroneous punctuation has been corrected silently
page iv managemant changed to management
page 8 frustrum changed to frustum
page 13 flater changed to flatter
page 20 plat changed to plot
page 23 matts changed to mats
page 25 grêênth changed to green
page 38 cocus changed to coccus
page 91 he sifted changed to be sifted
page 94 unstruct changed to unstruck
page 104 quote mark added after insipid
page 112 quote marks added before and after he says
page 117 lengh changed to length
page 124 excitment changed to excitement; of of the wood-work changed
to of the wood-work
page 145 alchohol changed to alcohol
page 149 Avo-ado-pear changed to Avocado-pear
page 159 intoit changed to into it
page 163 curviliar changed to curvilinear
page 182 about to feet changed to about two feet.