_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 put into a proper state by the addition of fresh tan, &c.
“When the plants are out of the stoves in the month of September, prepare the pits in the same manner as directed for the succession-beds, with three-fourths of new tan at the bottom, &c.; then shift the plants into pots about fourteen inches diameter at the top, and plant them at suitable distances for fruiting; plunge the pots at first halfway into the tan, till the heat diminishes to a safe temperature, then fill up the interstices between the pots with tan, and as the plants are now stationed, let them so remain till they are fruited off for the table. The plants, young and old, had best be near the glass, and small stoves are to be preferred, because they require less fire. The glass should be closely puttied, to keep out the cold air, and to retain the warm.