342 FORCING GARDEN. 



of some species of aloe. The fruit grown in Britain is 

 considered equal in all good qualities, and generally supe 

 rior in size, to that reared in tropical countries. The 

 Lond. Hortic. Catalogue enumerates 56 varieties : of these 

 the following may be deemed most worthy of notice. 



The Queen Pine is very generally cultivated. Its fruit 

 is of a cylindrical or tankard shape, of a yellowish color 

 inclining to orange, and sometimes weighs three pounds ; it 

 is, at the same time, of fine flavor. This kind produces 

 with greater certainty than most others, and the fruit maybe 

 easily ripened in fifteen or eighteen months from the plant 

 ing of the crown or offset. It is therefore the most useful 

 of all the pines. A sub-variety called Ripley^s Queen is 

 also excellent. 



The Black Antigua has leaves armed with large spines : 

 the flowers are purple ; the fruit cylindrical, averaging five 

 pounds weight. It should be cut a little before it be quite 

 ripe 



The Black Jamaica, or Old Jamaica. In this variety 

 the spines on the leaves are small ; the flowers purple ; the 

 fruit oblong, averaging about four pounds. This is an ex 

 cellent kind, and is considered the best sort for fruiting 

 during the winter months. 



The New Jamaica is rather an inferior kind, but is pret 

 ty good when ripened in the summer time. 



The Brown-leaved Sugar-loaf is a capital black va 

 riety ; and the Enville a showy and useful pine, with large 

 flat pips, and the fruit often attaining a considerable size. 



The St. Vincent s, or, as it is sometimes called, the 

 Green Olive, has middle-sized spines, purple flowers, and 

 pyramidal fruit, which average about two pounds and a. 

 half. It succeeds well as a winter fruit. 



The White Providence has small spines, dark purple 



