430 CULTURE OP THE PINE-APPLE. 



average. From 65 to 70 is sufficient bottom heat for succession-plants 

 in winter, and 70 to 75 to fruiters, unless, like the Black Jamaica or 

 Cayenne, they are ripening or swelling fruit, when 80 or 85 may be 

 maintained. Some of the best growers raise the fruiting-plants up 

 to 100 for a few hours on the afternoons of bright days, with a 

 saturated atmosphere, permitting it to fall to 80 or 75 during the 

 night. 



Propagation. This is effected by crowns, gills, suckers, and the old 

 stems. The two first are never resorted to now, unless for the increase 

 of scarce varieties. The same remark is applicable to the last mode of 

 increase. For all practical purposes, the mode of propagating pines is 

 by suckers only. These are produced so numerously, and grow so 

 rapidly, forming strong plants in a few months, that in practice suckers 

 alone are used as a rule to perpetuate or increase the stock. The 

 mode of potting them has been already described. It is best for the 

 suckers not to remove them until the fruit is nearly ripe. For the 

 sake of the fruit, however, they are often taken much earlier, and only 

 one, or two at most, should be left on each plant. They ought to be 

 carefully twisted or cut out at their base, without bending or breaking 

 their higher or softer parts, andpotted immediately. Some varieties, how- 

 ever notably the smooth-leaved Cayenne are shy in making suckers, 

 and as this is a valuable variety, it is often increased by plunging the 

 old stem, bereft of its leaves, in a horizontal position, in a strong bottom 

 heat. Suckers may thus be forced forth from the axil of each leaf, and 

 a good stock of new plants be got out of the old parent stem. 



Varieties. Modern pine-growers mostly confine themselves to a few 

 varieties : those who value quality chiefly, and are content with ripe 

 pines only during the summer and autumn, grow only Queens and 

 Charlotte Rothschilds. If pines must be had throughout the winter 

 and early spring, the Black Jamaica and smooth-leaved Cayenne must 

 be added to these. Beyond these four it is vain to look for the highest 

 quality. Many, however, grow other sorts for variety and size. For the 

 latter the White Providence is the grandest and heaviest variety. A well 

 grown fruit of this, from 12 to 141bs. in weight, is a magnificent orna- 

 ment for the dinner table. The Blood Red is likewise a showy variety, 

 a few of which are often grown for their unique colouring, and when 

 well finished the quality is second or third rate. The chief other 

 varieties are Globes, Sugar-loafs, Envilles, and Antiguas, of various 

 sizes and colours, all of which have been favoured in turn by different 

 growers, and which may be grown by units, while the first four are 

 grown by tens or hundreds. There are several other sorts, such as the 

 prickly Cayenne, which is, however, inferior to the smooth-leaved 

 variety ; the Trinidad, which has been grown of good quality and large 

 size, and the Montserrat, which is, however, but another name for 

 different varieties of the Black Jamaica. It is well also to bear in mind 

 that there are several varieties of Queen pine, perhaps the very best 

 being the broad-leaved common Queen, which, when well grown, is 

 the highest flavoured of all pines, unless it be a Charlotte Rothschild 

 full of golden juice. 



