394 THE NURSERY-MANUAL 



over the winter in a cool greenhouse. Seedlings are handled much as 

 are rhododendrons and similar things. 



Pilea (Artillery Plant). Urticacece. 



Increased by seeds (when available), division and soft cuttings, 

 commonly the last. 



Pimelia. Thymelceaceoe. 



Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened shoots in March, placed 

 in mixture of loam, peat and silver sand, covered with glass, and 

 kept in a temperature of 55 to 60. 



Pinanga. Palmacece. 



Propagated by imported seeds. See Palms, page 377. 

 Pine : Pinus. 



Pineapple (Ananas sativus). Bromeliaceoe. (P. H. Rolfs.) 



Pineapple fruits as obtained on the market rarely contain seed, 

 but by hand-pollinating it is comparatively easy to produce an 

 abundance of seed. The only use that can be made of these seeds 

 is in producing new varieties. In this country, pineapples are rarely 

 grown under glass for fruit, but specimens are sometimes found in 

 botanical collections and there are stripe-leaved varieties grown for 

 ornament. The indoor propagation is mostly by suckers or offsets 

 from the base. 



The stock or trunk of the pineapple, as the plant is grown com- 

 mercially in subtropical United States, is usually spoken of as the 

 "root " and also as the " stool." This bears a bud in the axil of 

 every leaf. The root proper of the pineapple plant is a small fibrous 

 organ and contains no buds. In commercial pineapple fields, from 

 one to a large number of buds sprout from the old stem after the 

 fruit has been removed from the plant. In local vernacular, these are 

 spoken of as " suckers." In most varieties, the suckers are pre- 

 ferred for the setting of new fields. They are commonly set out 

 when 8 to 14 inches long. The bases are usually trimmed and the 

 tops cut back. The suckers may be allowed to lie on the sand for 

 days, or even weeks, without serious damage. They start into 

 growth more quickly, however, if set out promptly. Sometimes 

 " rattoons " propagate the plant ; these are shoots arising from 

 an underground part and developing a plant independently of the 

 parent stock. Figs. 52-55. 



When the pineapple plant fruits, a stalk is produced varying in 



