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demand is invariably strong. Second and third grade fruit finds 

 a ready market for preserving and canning purposes in all of the 

 big world centers. One large canning factory in New England 

 last year ofifered to contract for, and take all the pineapples which 

 Cuba, the Philippines and Hawaii could raise together. And they 

 all refused to make contracts, for the individual market demand 

 was so great that they could afford to be independent. We are 

 glad that our government officials are looking into the matter, 

 for we have faith in Ceylon as a future pineapple country, and 

 if our planters can produce as fine a grade of this fruit as of tea 

 and rubber, it is our prediction that within ten years we will be 

 running Hawaii a close race for first position. Once the pine- 

 apple industry is started on a proper scale, and handled judi- 

 ciously, there is little doubt as to the profits and certainty of 

 crops. Dividends of from 40 to 60 per cent, on common pine- 

 apple shares are reported from Honolulu last season, and many 

 of the Cuban companies paid as high as 50 per cent., which is 

 an excellent showing in consideration of the quality of Cuban 

 pines as compared with those grown in Hawaii. We have re- 

 cently received several interesting letters with regard to pineapple 

 growing, and some definite action will no doubt be taken soon, 

 as to a further investigation of this subject. — Tropical Agricul- 

 turist. 



GIANT ALOE AT KEW. 



On one of the lawns near the cactus house at Kew there is now 

 a magnificent example of the pulque plant Agave atrovirens, from 

 the Ilanois or plains of Apam, Mexico. For many years this plant 

 has been a striking object among the many species of agave cul- 

 tivated in the cactus house, its age being about thirty years. Until 

 the pole-like flower spike commenced to develop there was ample 

 head room in the house for the plant, huge though it is ; but when 

 the spike reached the roof, the end of the house was removed 

 and the plant run out on planks and rollers to its present position 

 where, unless the weather of the next few weeks disagrees with 

 it, the flower spike should be at its best towards the end of June. 

 At present the spike is about 12 feet high and 6 inches in diame- 

 ter, but, judging by a specimen which flowered about twenty-five 

 years ago, it should attain a height of 25 feet, with numerous 

 branches arranged candelabra fashion, and bear a large number 

 of yellow lily-like flowers. The leaves are arranged in an enor- 

 mous rosette about 12 feet in diameter, and they are about 8 feet 

 long, 10 in. wide, very thick and solid, their color glaucous green, 

 their margins clothed with short spines, and the apex armed with 

 a long sharp spike. In a broad sense this is one of the American 

 aloes or century plants, whose life period varies from ten to fifty 

 years, or even longer, according to circumstances, but they 



