THE PINE-APPLE. 



Sul 



apace is limited ; but, being a very dwarf, if not a bad 

 grower, and a shy fruiter, it is only fit for summer 

 use. When under good management, it produces 

 fruit six pounds in weight. Owing to its dwarf 

 habit and much-recurved leaves, this Pine is easily 

 distingTiished from all others. Three plants in 

 eight-inch pots can be grown in a space equal to 

 that occupied by two old Queens ; the fruit, how- 

 ever, is not so handsome, neither is it so good. It 

 keeps good three -weeks after it is ripe. 



Tlioresby Queen, or Bennett's Seedling.— 



Leaves very long, and broader than those of the 

 common Queen, upright and compact in growth, 

 with a light-coloured, mealy surface. Spines fine 

 and thickly set. Fruit large, six to eight pounds, 

 barrel-shaped, and broader than the better-known 

 Charlotte Rothschild ; pips flat and even ; flesh 

 deep yeUow, firm, and moderately juicy. Flavour 

 good, but not equal to any of the true Queens. It 

 has a small crown,, and produces suckers freely. 



Charlotte Rothschild — ^A strong spreading 

 grower, taking up rather more room than the Smooth- 

 leaved Cayenne. Leaves broad, leathery, slightly 

 curved, dark green on the upper side, mealy beneath, 

 thickly set with large strong'spmes, giving the plant 

 the appearance of an unusually robust Queen, which 

 the fruit also resembles. It starts freely into fruit, 

 which it swells to a large size, good samples weighing 

 seven to ten pounds. It is slightly barrel-shaped, 

 with large flat pips of a bright yellow, almost rival- 

 ling the Queen, but the quality is not so good when 

 ripened under the most favourable conditions. It is, 

 however, worthy of a place in the front rank, as it 

 stands well as a winter Pine. To bring out its fuU 

 flavour and quality it should be grown in a high 

 temperature, where it can have an abundance of solar 

 heat and light. If removed to a dry room before it 

 is quite ripe it will keep three to four weeks. 



Smooth -leaved Cayenne. — This handsome 

 Pine has caused greater sensation amongst Pine- 

 growers than any other variety ; the leaves being 

 long, broad, dark green, and smooth or almost free 

 from spines. Inferior kinds have often been sub- 

 stituted for it to meet the demand for stock; but its 

 superior quality being so marked, the spurious 

 varieties are now seldom met with, and this splendid 

 Pine stands very high as a winter fruiter. 



Fruit very large, cylindrical, oval, dark orange- 

 colour; pips large and flat; flesh pale yellow, 

 juicy and excellent. Average weight from six to 

 nine pounds. 



Mr. D. Thomson, the most successful grower of 

 this fine variety in Britain, says of it :— " This is the 



finest Pine I know for supplying fruit fi-om October 

 to May. It swells more freely and is more juicy 

 than any other Pine that I have grown, and its 

 flavour is excellent." 



This is the variety giown by British gardeners in 

 the Azores, and with which every fruiterer's shop in 

 England is so so well stocked from November to May. 

 Unfortunately it does not produce suckers freely. 

 The ways and means of making stock have been dis- 

 cussed in the chapter on Propagation. If removed 

 to a dry airy house before it is quite ripe, it will keep 

 five weeks in good condition. 



Black Jamaica. — Of all the winter Pines grown 

 this is undoubtedly one of the very best, and it 

 should be in every choice selection where high 

 quality is appreciated. It is tail and erect in its 

 growth, with long, dari green leaves, tinged with red 

 and finely serrated. It can be grown and fruited in 

 small pots in a temperature which is considered too 

 high and dry for Pines generally, Fruit cylindrical 

 when well swelled, bronzy-yellow when ripe ; pips 

 flat with a sHght depression in the centre; flesh 

 firm, rich, juicy and highly flavoured. As it swells 

 well in winter, when it attains a weight of three to 

 five pounds, the principal stock of plants should be 

 in a condition for starting into fruit in August and 

 September. 



Montserrat A variety at one time much gxowu 



in the neighbourhood of Manchester, under the name 

 of Black Jamaica, was known to southern growers as 

 " Montserrat." It is a most delicious Pine, quite 

 equal to the Black Jamaica ; but the plant and fruit 

 being smaller, the latter more barrel-shaped, it is 

 better suited to small houses where space is limited. 

 Unfortunately the demand for Pines of larger size has 

 almost thrown this variety out of cultivation. It can 

 be kept in good condition five weeks after it is ripe. 



iiord Carington.— Although the history of this 

 fine Pine is not well known, thanks to Mr. Miles, the 

 clever gardener to the earl whose name it bears, it 

 is likely to soon become a general favourite. Like 

 the Jamaicas, a section to which it undoubtedly 

 belongs, it is an upright grower, with broad fleshy 

 leaves, the young ones tinged with brown; spines 

 medium-sized, thickly set. Fi-uit long, pyramidal, 

 dark brownish-yeUow ; pips flat, but not so smooth 

 as those of the Jamaica ; flesh fine pale yellow, rich 

 and very highly flavoured; weight four to' seven 

 pounds. Like the preceding variety, the Lord Caring- 

 ton seems eminently adapted for winter culture, as it 

 swells well through the dark sunless months, and 

 ripens evenly from the base to the crown. As this 

 variety is inchned to grow tall, it is very suitable foi 



