THE PINE APPLE. 39 



be repeated once a week during the summer season ; 

 for I observe these insects always multiply much 

 faster where the plants are kept dry, than in such 

 places where the plants are sometimes sprinkled 

 over with water, and kept in a growing state. 

 And the same is also observed in America ; for it is 

 in long droughts that the insects make such des- 

 truction in the sugar-canes. And in those islands, 

 where they have had several very dry seasons, they 

 have increased to such a degree as to destroy the 

 greatest part of the canes in the islands, rendering 

 them not only unfit for sugar, but poison the juice 

 of the plant, so as to disqualify it for making rum ; 

 whereby many planters have been ruined. 



" As these insects are frequently brought over 

 from America on the ananas plants, those persons 

 who procure their plants from thence should look 

 carefully over them when they receive them, to see 

 they have none of these insects on them ; for if they 

 have, they will soon be propagated over all the 

 plants in the stove where these are placed : there- 

 fore, whenever they are observed, the plants should; 

 be soaked (as was before directed) before they are 

 planted into pots." 



Fruit produced. Miller finds suckers and crowns, 

 if equal in size and strength, fruit equally soon ; 

 and has seen as good fruit produced from plants 

 received from the West Indies, as from any he has 

 seen, and some three times larger than any he saw 

 in M. Le Cour's garden. 



* D 4 



