LONDON. 8 



The stock of pine-apples is very extensive, consisting of" 

 several hundred fruiting plants, and several hundred suc- 

 cession plants. Here we found the New Providence pine- 

 apple before mentioned, cultivated in perfection ; together 

 with great quantities of the well-known and excellent 

 variety called the Queen. In propagating ananas, Mi- 

 Andrews uses suckers only : These are allowed to re- 

 main long on the parent plants, so that when they come 

 to be detached, they are of a larger size and more for- 

 ward growth than is usual. But he has also other rea- 

 sons for preferring suckers to crowns : there is always 

 much difficulty and trouble in getting the crowns returned 

 after having been presented at table, and there is a great 

 risk of different kinds being mixed, through the careless- 

 ness of servants. His stock is perfectly clear of the 

 coccus * ; and he keeps it so, by thus avoiding all intermix- 

 ture, and consequently the hazard of the introduction of 

 infected plants. The suckers are planted in pits in Sep- 

 tember, and placed in beds of tan in hot-houses furnished 

 with furnaces and flues ; here they pass the winter, and 

 remain till late in the spring. They are then transferred 

 to large hot-beds, or pits, which have tanners'* bark in the 

 centre, and are furnished with exterior linings of horse- 

 dung. In these hot-beds they are found to grow remark- 

 ably fast during the summer season. In autumn they are 

 again returned to the hot-houses, to pass the winter ; and 

 in the course of the following season, they are forced into 

 fruit, partly in the hot-houses, and partly in the hot-bed 

 frames. Some of those potted in September last (1816,) 

 were already so far advanced, that it was expected they 

 would afford ripe fruit in November next, or about four- 

 teen months after planting. 



* C. hesperidum ; often called Pine-bug, and sometimes Turtle-insect. 



