442 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society. 



they are taken out of the fruit, because, if suffered to dry, 

 they will not grow. 



The bread-fruit, called Jacca, with entire leaves, Arto- 

 carpus integrifolia, has round fruit from 1 ft. to 1^ ft. in dia- 

 meter ; the flesh when ripe has a sweet mealy taste, but, being 

 very inferior to the true bread-fruit, Artocarpus incisa, is 

 seldom cultivated. 



There is an undescribed species of bread-fruit, a native of 

 Brazil, and found in the large forests near Rio Janeiro ; the 

 fruit is from 2 to 4 ft. long, and from 6 in. to 2 ft. in diameter, 

 and weighing from half a hundred to two hundred weight. One 

 tree often bears from fifty to sixty fruit. The flesh resembles 

 that of the entire-leaved bread-fruit, or Jacca, and is cut into 

 slices and roasted by the natives. 



60. Some Observations on the Culture of the Pine-apple in Brazil. 

 By M. Beyrich, Gardener in Brazil. 



The pine-apple, though a native of South America, is not 

 found wild near Rio Janeiro, but is very abundantly cultivated 

 there. As some parts of the country appear more appropriate 

 for its culture than others, I shall here give a description of 

 such places, as affording hints for its culture in Europe 



The pine-apple in its wild state is found near the sea-shore; 

 the sand accumulated there in downs serving for its growth, 

 as well as for that of most of the species of the same family. 

 The place where the best pine-apples are cultivated is of a 

 similar nature. In the sandy plains of Praga velha and 

 Praga grande, formed by the receding of the sea, and in 

 which no other plant will thrive, are the spots where the 

 pine-apple thrives best. The cause of this lies evidently in 

 the composition of the sand, which chiefly consists of salt, lime 

 from decomposed shells, and a very little vegetable mould. 

 Warmth, lime, salt, and moisture, seem therefore to be the 

 principal ingredients in which the pine-apple thrives. Sand 

 will take a very high and continued degree of warmth, being 

 often heated by the sun so much as to scorch vegetation, and 

 yet it seldom dries to a greater depth than from 8 in. to 

 1 ft. Sea salt is well known for its property of attracting 

 the nocturnal damps, and retaining them a long time. The 

 lime of the shells seems to be the principal manure, which 

 has also been proved by the English here, who, by manuring 

 their pine-apples with a mixture of stamped oyster-shells with 

 vegetable earth, produce very large fruit. The natural mould, 

 usually slightly mixed with sand, is partly of a vegetable, and 

 partly of a mineral origin. 



