THE PINE APPLE. 87 



to them, if there be any of them in the hot-house, 

 will breed rapidly on them and hurt them. Those 

 insects which naturally breed and live on the Pine 

 Apple plant, appear to delight in a dry dirty situ- 

 ation. Where Pine Apples grow naturally and 

 produce large fruit, they are not free of insects ; and 

 though plants be free of insects, they will not grow 

 well, nor produce fine fruit, unless they get enough 

 of good earth, sufficient heat, and be watered plen- 

 tifully." 



Fruit produced. The green, and some other sorts 

 of Pine, Mr. M'Phail " ripened in a shorter period 

 of time than two years after planting," (Gard. Rem. 

 87.) but some large kinds he found required three 

 seasons, as the black Antigua, Jamaica, and Ripley. 

 His object was to have his fruit come in for use be- 

 tween May and October, for he very justly re- 

 marks, that " the fruit of the Pine Apple, if it hap- 

 pen to appear ripe in winter, will have its flavour 

 insipid." He therefore recommends, that such 

 plants as show fruit in September or October, had 

 better be cast away, unless there be plenty of room 

 for them in the hot-house ; in that case they may 

 be retained by way of experiment, and to obtain 

 young plants from them. (Gard. Rem. 98.) 



G 4< 



