446 THE HOT-HOUSE. [JULY. 



but when it ripens late in the season it is not so subject to any of 

 these defects. 



The Sugar-loaf pine is easily distinguished from all the others, 

 by its leaves having purple stripes on their inside the whole length. 

 The fruit is paler when ripe than the former, inclining to a straw- 

 colour. This was brought from Brazil to Jamaica, where it is es- 

 teemed far beyond any other kind. But of this there are three va- 

 rieties. 1. The brown-leaved. 2. The green-leaved, with purple 

 stripes and spines on the edges. 3. The green-leaved, with pur- 

 ple stripes and smooth edges. The fruit of these is of exquisite 

 flavour, filled with a lively delicious juice, and the flesh of a yellow 

 colour. 



The King Pine, has grass-green, smooth leaves, and produces a 

 pretty large fruit ; but as its flesh is hard, stringy, and sometimes 

 not well flavoured, it is not much cultivated. 



The Smooth Pine, is preserved by some persons for sake of va- 

 riety, but the fruit is of little value. 



The Late Pine, is not of much importance for cultivating, on 

 account of its ripening at an untimely season, and therefore its des- 

 cription is considered unnecessary. 



The Green Pine, is considered tolerably good. The fruit if suf- 

 fered to ripen well, is of an olive colour ; to have it green, it 

 must be cut before it is ripe, and suffered to lie by, till fit for use. 

 Plants of this kind may be procured from Barbadoes, and Montser- 

 rat ; but the fruit of the Sugar-loaf is much to be preferred to it, 

 and indeed to any other kind yet introduced. 



There is, likewise, the Surinam, or Silver-striped Pine, which 

 exceeds in beauty the whole tribe of variegated plants. The leaves 

 are variously striped with a dark green and delicate white ; and 

 the whole is tinged with a lively red, which produces a contrast 

 that gives the plant a gay and most beautiful appearance. Nor is 

 there less beauty in its fruit, the protuberances cf which swell 

 large, and, when ripe, are variously marbled with red, green, yellow, 

 and white ; which, together with the variegated crown on the top 

 of the fruit, add a singularity and elegance to the whole, beyond 

 the power of description. The fruit is tolerably good, and thre- 

 fore, the plant, is doubly worthy of cultivation. 



Many other varieties of this fruit have arisen from seed, such as 

 the Black or brown Antigue, or Ripley Fine, which is a very good 

 fruit. The Granada Pine with marbled leaves and very large fiuit. 

 The Bog-warp Pine, with broad green leaves. The Smpoth, long, 

 narrow leaved Pine, and the Surinam Pine with gold-striped leaves ; 

 and some assert, that there are varieties with rcd-Schhcd fruit. 



Compost proper for Pine Plants. 



Ycu should, in the first place, twelve months previous to the time 

 of its being wanted for use, pare off the sward or turf cf a pasture, 

 not more than two inches deep, where the soil is a strcrijr, rich 

 loam, and carry it to some convenient place to be piled together 

 for rotting ; observing to turn it over once a month at least, spread-* 



