CULTURE OP THE PINE-APPLE. . 433 



centrate the whole power of the plant into the development of the 

 fruit. Having obtained size, the next step is to develop quality. All 

 excess of water, both at top and bottom, must be avoided, and every 

 form of manure vapour weak or rich carefully kept out of the pine- house 

 atmosphere. A dry heat, with abundance of light and air, are the 

 physical and chemical conditions for the manufacture of luscious 

 quality. 



Making the Plants show Fruit. The best general means are great 

 strength of base and short thick leaves. Drawing up long leaves is the 

 readiest means of ensuring sterility. Hence, the opposite condition may 

 be accepted as the preliminary of fertility. The practised eye can generally 

 tell at a glance if the plant means fruit. " Coming events cast their 

 shadows before." It is so with growing pines. A thick stem, short 

 central leaves, a black eye, and deep colour in the heart, all proclaim the 

 coming fruit. Still at times they cpme forth provokingly slowly. Then a 

 few special aids can be given. Keep the air of the house dry, and the 

 roots warm, venturing even on 90 or 100 bottom heat. Keep the roots 

 without water for a month or six weeks, until the leaves exhibit 

 visible signs of distress. Then suddenly reverse the treatment, and 

 the chances are, that the change will throw the plants into fruit. The 

 air may also undergo great changes of temperature from 55 to 

 80. All this will check, and as it were, directly agitate the plants, 

 and sooner or later they will discover what is meant, and throw up 

 their fruit. Should this, however, fail, we have one more powerful 

 means of forcing a show. Cut off the head of the pine-plant at the 

 level of the pot, remove a few of the bottom leaves, put it in a 10-inch 

 pot, plunge in a bottom heat of 85, and very soon it will throw up a 

 fruit, and often a fine one too. 



Retarding of the Fruit. It is sometimes of the utmost importance 

 to be able to keep back pines for particular occasions, or to avoid a 

 glut. Pines may safely be removed from their fruiting quarters when 

 they are half-coloured, and placed in vineries, or even in a cool, dry 

 room for a month without injury. Mr. Barnes is of opinion that slow- 

 ripening develops quality, and it is well known that pines ripened 

 slowly in vineries are often the very highest flavoured. 



The preservation of ripe pines is perhaps best effected by removing 

 the plants with the fruit upon them into a dry and rather warm room, 

 the suckers, if wanted, being of course previously taken off. The 

 fruit alone may also be kept good for six weeks in a fruit-room after 

 they are cut. If required to keep longer than this, the crown should 

 be removed, as any attempt at growth in the latter could only be 

 made at the expense of the fruit. 



What Constitutes a Good Pine-apple. The points of merit are chiefly 

 these : Respectable size, depth and fulness of pips evenly swelled out 

 from base to summit, a small, sturdy, perfectly upright crown of from 

 three to four inches in height ; fruit bright and golden in colour, and heavy 

 in proportion to its bulk ; scent strong and flavour exquisite, rich and 

 juicy, or as Mr. Barnes puts it, the juice oozing from the rind as thick as 



F F 



