4 OF THE PINE APPLE, 



" When I say," observes Mr. Cowel of Hoxtony 

 in his Curious and Profitable Gardener, Lon. 173O, 

 p. 27. " that the first Pine Apples that were cul- 

 tivated in England, were in Sir Matthew Deck- 

 er's gardens at Richmond, I mean the first that 

 were cultivated with success, were in those gar- 

 dens ; for long before we had plants of them 

 brought to us, but had not before that time con- 

 veniences for bringing them to fruit, or even of 

 keeping the plants alive." 



" The Pine Apple," he adds, in the same page, 

 " is now (1730) found in almost every curious gar- 

 den." 



The fruit of the Ananas was sent to Europe, 

 and especially to Holland, as a preserve, for many 

 years before the Ananas plant was introduced. 



That it found its way even to England in this 

 state, so early as the sixteenth century, is evident 

 from what Lord Bacon says of it in his Essay on 

 Colonies ; and also from a picture in the posses- 

 sion of the Earl of Waldegrave, representing 

 Charles II. in a garden, and Rose, the royal gar- 

 dener, presenting his Majesty with a Pine Apple. 

 This picture, Lord Walpole informs us, was be- 

 queathed by Mr. London, who was Rose's appren- 

 tice, to the Rev. Mr. Pennicott, of Thames Ditton, 

 by whom it was presented to himself. It does not 

 appear, however, that the Pine was cultivated 

 either by Rose or London, otherwise it would cer- 

 tainly have been noticed in the publications, 

 which, if not written by, at least passed under the 



