The C^t,stard- Apple. 245 



needles would seem to be lodged chiefly just under the 

 meshes, and to be less troublesome the riper the fruit, 

 so that by careful removal of the meshes, and not eating 

 too soon, the annoyance is much lessened. Barring this 

 drawback, the Monstera makes a very interesting addition 

 to our list of hothouse fruits. The plant presents, at any 

 time, a very curious spectacle, alike in the foliage and in 

 the long-extended searching of its roots for water. It 

 will grow almost anywhere, but the true place for its 

 prosperity is over or near a tank, to which the roots 

 dart as if gifted with instinct. Once in the water, they 

 produce great circular radiating brushes of rootlets, after 

 the manner of many true aquatics, then recalling the 

 beautiful old picture of the thirsty hart. 



THE CUSTARD-APPLE (Anona squamosa). 



IN the winter there is found in the shops, imported from 

 Madeira, a curious green fruit resembling an artichoke, 

 only that the scales are as closely compacted as those of 

 a young pine-cone. It is about three inches long, and 

 the same in diameter. Every scale, as in the pine-apple, 

 represents a distinct ovary. Internally it is a mass of 

 rather solid pulp, with many rather large black seeds : 

 the taste is like that of raspberries and cream. 



This is the celebrated " Custard-apple," " Sugar-apple," 

 or " Sweet-sop " of the tropics. It is produced by a tree 

 growing about fifteen feet high, with laurel-like foliage, 



