THE PINE APPLE. 77 



have recommended the cutting off some of the 

 roots at the autumn shifting ; but Jong experience 

 has convinced me, that cutting off the roots, or des- 

 troying them by any means, instead of making them 

 show fruit, is an effectual mean to prevent them 

 from showing fruit, till they have again made long 

 roots. The fruit of the Pine Apple is formed, pro- 

 bably, not less than seven or eight weeks before it 

 appears among the leaves ; and if a plant be divest- 

 ed partially or totally of its roots, its growth is 

 stopped till it has made roots of considerable length, 

 when it will grow quickly. And, if before the 

 roots were destroyed, the fruit had been formed in 

 the hidden secret centre of the plant, the fruit will 

 grow and show itself when the leaves of the plant, 

 excepting those on the stem of the fruit, will make 

 no appearance of growing. This, perhaps, may be 

 the reason which induces some persons to think that 

 cutting off the roots of the plant causeth it to fruit 

 sooner than it would do were the roots suffered to 

 remain. 



" If Pine Apple plants, intended for fruiting the 

 following year, be shifted late in the autumn into 

 pots, which their roots do not fill well before the 

 month of January, they probably will not show fruit 

 till late in the spring or summer months. For this 

 reason it is advisable, when they cannot be shifted 

 early enough in the month of August or beginning 

 of September, so as to fill the pots with roots before 

 the winter come on, to let them remain unshifted 

 till the fruit appear, and the stem of it be grown to 



