600 THE PINE-APPLE. 



and as the tree is greatly injured by such a winter as that of 1837-8, it 

 might be advisable to protect the wood during winter by hay-rope netting. 



SUBSECT. VII. The Peruvian Cherry. 



1325. The Peruvian Cherry, Physalis peruviana, is a biennial, a native of 

 Buenos Ayres, Lima, and other parts of South America, where it grows 

 from six feet to ten feet high. It is occasionally cultivated in British stoves 

 and forcing-houses for its fruit, which is produced through the winter as well 

 as during summer, and tastes exactly like that of the hardy species (1267). 

 It is commonly trained against a trellis, on the back of an early forced vinery 

 or peach-house ; but, treated like the capsicum or love-apple, it will ripen 

 its fruit in abundance, during summer, against a south wall. 



SECT. III. Tropical or Sub-tropical Fruits. 



1326. The fruits which we include in this section are such as require to 

 be grown entirely or chiefly under glass, viz. : the pine-apple, banana, the 

 orange and lemon tribe, the melon and cucumber, and some fruits not in 

 general cultivation, but which may be tried by the curious amateur. 



SUBSECT. I. The Pine-apple. 



1327. The Pine-apple, Ananassa sativa, Lindl. (Ananas, Fr.; Ger.; and 

 Ital.; Pijn appel, Dutch; and Pina, Span.), is a low evergreen shrub, a 

 native of South America, the natural history of which having been given in 

 p. 443, we have only here to describe the varieties best worth cultivating. 



1328. Pines cultivated chiefly for their high flavour. 



The Queen. One of the best varieties at present known for general cul- 

 tivation. It grows freely, fruits early, and, being higher flavoured than 

 many of the larger kinds, is still the most valuable for a small family. 

 Exposed to a very high temperature in the months of June, July, and 

 August, it is liable to become hollow near the core, but early or later in the 

 season it is not subject to that defect. It is the sort generally grown by 

 gardeners for the London market. The Ripley Queen, a slight variety of 

 the common Queen, is probably the best ; the leaves are greener and broader, 

 and it does not throw up so many suckers. 



The Moscow Queen. An excellent variety, but rather a slow grower; the 

 fruit is about the same size as the common Queen, but superior to it in 

 flavour. 



The Slack Jamaica. An excellent fruit at all seasons of the year, but 

 particularly in the winter months, when pines rarely come to perfection ; it 

 cuts firm to the core, is highly flavoured, keeps some time after it is fully 

 ripe, and bears carriage better than any other variety. It is, however, rather 

 a slow grower, and the fruit seldom attains a large size. 



The Brown Sugar-loaf. The best of the sugar-loaf kind ; it is a large, 

 handsome, and highly- flavoured fruit, swells freely in the winter months ; its 

 flesh is firm and juicy. 



The Black Antigua. An excellent and highly flavoured pine if cut when 

 it begins to turn from green to yellow, but if allowed to remain on the plant 

 until it is quite ripe it loses all its richness. 



1329. Pines cultivated chiefly for their large size* 

 The Enville. Deserving a place in collections as one of the handsomest 



