THE PINE-APPLE. 255 



who had purchased them informed him that about two- 

 thirds of the number arrived in good condition, and that 

 a regular supply might therefore be expected for the fu- 

 ture. This author was, however, in hopes that forcing 

 would soon reach such perfection that there would be 

 "African gardens" on the banks of the Thames, and 

 looked forward, therefore, to the speedy arrival of the 

 time when pine-apples would be " cried through our 

 streets two for a crown " a hope whose fulfilment is as 

 much exceeded in one respect as it is fallen short of in 

 another, by the supply at the present day, street-sold at 

 a half-penny a slice, but, alas ! of insipid imports, instead 

 of full-flavoured home growths. These come chiefly from, 

 the Bahamas, where they are grown as turnips are in our 

 fields, and with so little care that excellence can hardly 

 be expected, though probably the great demand excited 

 by this abundant importation may cause more attention 

 to be paid to them, and thus eventually improve the 

 supply ; for Dr. Wynter in his Curiosities of Civilization 

 informs us that no less than 300,000 are brought yearly 

 to London, principally from these islands, nine-tenths of 

 the number being still consigned to Messrs. Keeling and 

 Hunt, the original importers. A whole fleet of clipper 

 ships is appropriated to the carriage across the sea of this 

 single fruit. 



The leaves of the Bromelia ananas are very like those 

 of the aloe, but less thick and succulent, and are mostly 

 armed with thorns, though in the variety called the King 

 Pine the foliage is quite smooth and without prickles. 

 Though the first leaves of seedling pines are very small 

 and tender, much resembling the smallest blades of grass, 

 when full grown they are from 2 to 3 ft. long and from 

 2 to 3 in. broad, and of that dusty bluish-green colour 

 which mostly characterizes sea shore vegetation. In the 

 centre of these leaves rises a stem, varying in height from 

 one to several feet, on which are clustered numerous 

 small close-sitting flowers, consisting of a three-cornered 

 calyx and a corolla of three petals, within which are seen 

 the pistil and six short stamens. Lilac, purple, or bluish 

 in colour, these flowers, with their accompanying bracts^ 



