455 



THE HOT-HOUSE. 



Pine-Mpples. 



The pine apples being now arriving at maturity, it may not be 

 unacceptable to give some account of the different varieties. 



Of the bromelia there have been nine distinct species described, 

 viz: the 13. ananas, B. pinguin, B. karatas, B. lingulata, B. humi- 

 lis, B. acanga, B. bracteata, B. nudicaulis, and the B. panicu- 

 ligera; but as the first species is the only one cultivated on 

 account of its fruit, I shall confine myself exclusively to it, at least 

 for the present. 



From the Bromelia ananas, or pine-apple, as it is called, on 

 account of the resemblance of the shape of its fruit to the cones of 

 some species of pine tree, particularly to that of the Pinus pinea, 

 or stone-pine, there arise six principal varieties which have been 

 cultivated for their fruit, &c. 1. The variety ovata, or queen-pine. 

 2. The pyramidalis, or sugar-loaf pine. 3. The lucida, or king- 

 pine. 4. The glabra, or smooth-pine. 5. The serotina, or late 

 pine; and 6. The viridis, or green pine. 



The queen-pine is the most commonly cultivated, but seems 

 daily to decrease in esteem. Its flesh is of a fine yellow colour, 

 but in the hot summer months it is very apt not to cut firm, is 

 liable to crack in the middle, and often contains an insipid watery 

 juice: 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 

 esteemed far beyond any other kind. But of this there are three 

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

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

 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 varie- 

 ty, 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 

 description 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 



