2l6 GENERAL REVIEW. 



almost invariable method of propagating from offsets or suckers. 

 We scarcely want fertile seeds in the case of our fruit-bearing 

 plants, the chief object in cultivating these being to favour the 

 development of the fleshy or pulpy covering, as in the Pine, 

 Pear, and stone-fruits, where we strive to obtain small stones 

 and a large proportion of edible pulp. Miller, while noting 

 that seeds of the Pine are but rarely produced in Europe, 

 remarks that if seeds were procured and sown, the varieties of 

 Pine-apples would soon be as numerous as Apples and Pears. 

 Miller himself sowed seeds and found them to produce 

 varieties of different degrees of vigour and excellence. Mr J. 

 Fleming, of Cliveden, writing to the 'Florist,' 1868, p. 134, 

 makes the following interesting observations on this subject : 

 "The great drawback to the usefulness of the variegated 

 Pine-apple as a decorative plant is the presence of the saw- 

 like spines on the leaves, which render it dangerous indoors. 

 In order to try and remedy this, I made an attempt in the 

 spring of 1865 to cross the smooth-leaved Cayenne, with the 

 pollen of the variegated variety, but whether any cross took 

 place is doubtful ; I think not, though every flower operated 

 upon set a seed. The fruit proved a very fine one. To make all 

 certain, I took it to Berry Hill, where Mr Rogers assisted in 

 searching out the seeds. It was some time before we could 

 make certain of them, not having seen any before. In this 

 instance they were kidney-shaped, a little larger than a millet- 

 seed, brown in colour ; and, through a glass, were seen to be 

 irregularly veined all over, making the dark surface appear 

 like specks of rich velvet. The seeds, if not too ripe when 

 the fruit is cut, are enclosed in small ear-like cells, covered by 

 closing up the bract, which is no doubt provided by nature to 

 protect the seed from birds, &c., as this bract 'does not com- 

 monly grow downwards until the flowering is over. 



" We found in all over fifty seeds, every one of which vege- 

 tated freely ; but although the plants all differed in some way, 

 not one of them showed any light variegation. I left a few 

 seeds with Mr Rogers, who is a very successful Pine-grower. 

 He was the first to ripen a fruit in about eighteen months. 

 It weighed four pounds, and was pronounced by Dr Hogg to 

 be very handsome in shape, but deficient in flavour. The latter 

 may improve ; it would not, I think, be possible to improve 

 on the habit. There are about one in five smooth -leaved. 

 Several have fruited since, but none so remarkable either in 

 shape or habit." 



In the 'Transactions of the Horticultural Society,' 1835 

 (2d ser.), i. i, is a valuable account of 52 varieties then 



