I50 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



destroying the plants and the insects together, and burning also the material in 

 which they have been plunged, afterwards burning sulphur in the house three 

 or four times in succession, having it whitewashed and painted and some other 

 crop grown there during the next twelye months. By then it will be safe to 

 start again with fresh plants. The best way to get rid of brown scale and 

 mealy bug on pines is by the application of hot water, and apply this by means 

 of a small piece of sponge tied to a stick ; the insects are then easily reached. 



TEMPERATURES FOR THE YEAR 



WITHOUT SUN HEAT. 

 Maximum {by Day). Minimum {by Night). 



[Bottom heat temperature : in winter, 65 to 70 degs. ; in summer, 70 to 75 degs.] 



When the house is closed in the afternoon, the temperature, influenced by the 

 sun heat, may be allowed to rise considerably higher than the maximum given in 

 the tables, especially from the end of April to the end of July, but it should 

 never exceed 90 degs. 



Standard by which to Judge the Pineapple. — Perfect ripeness ; each 

 pip fully developed ; poorly formed pips caused through imperfect fertilisa- 

 tion of the flowers to be considered a fault. The surface of the ripe pine 

 should have a rich golden appearance, with a certain liquid exudation in places. 

 The aroma should be rich and highly fragrant. A pale colour with pointed and 

 poorly developed pips, a generally dried-up appearance of the fruit, are serious 

 defects, and consequently lessen the value of the pine materially. A good 

 Queen pine when ripe, especially in the height of summer, should weigh from 

 4 to 5 lbs. (they have been grown ']\ or 8 lbs. in weight). Charlotte Rothschild 

 from 7 to 9 lbs. is a good fruit ; this may be had weighing from 10 to 12 lbs. 

 The Smooth Cayenne will usually range from I to 2 lbs. less in weight. The 

 crown, to be well proportioned, should be half the length of the fruit, and 

 slightly tapering towards the apex. A crown very large or very small is con- 

 sidered a fault. The growth of the crown may be arrested, if it is desired to do 

 so, by inserting a hot iron in the centre. In estimating the weight of a pine, 

 a pound to a pip used to be considered a safe guide. It is so still in a well- 

 developed, broad-set fruit, especially with Charlotte Rothschild and Smooth 

 Cayenne, but very seldom so with the Queen. 



