PINE- APPLE. 



301 



remarkably fine bunches have been produced at different 

 times by noted growers, Mr. Curror, of Eskbank, having 

 grown it to a weight of 26| lbs. 



Trentham Black. — Leaves bluntly lobed, dark-green, and 

 of thick texture. Bunches tapering, shouldered; berries 

 medium, roundish-oval; skin thin but tough, separating 

 freely from the pulp, black, with a copious bloom; flesh 

 juicy, rich, and vinous. Bears forcing well, ripening as 

 early as Black Hambro, and hanging longer; the latter 

 property renders it valuable. 



West's St. Peters. — Leaves acutely serrated, cordate at 

 the base, glabrous, with the exception of a slight pubescence 

 on the ribs; when fading the leaves assume a purplish- 

 crimson hue. Bunch medium, sometimes large and 

 broad-shouldered; berries round, inclining to oval; skin 

 rather thin, black, with a fine bloom ; flesh purplish, 

 sugary, and rich. An excellent Grape for invalids. The 

 variety is a good bearer, and valuable on account of its 

 late -keeping properties. Should be grown with Lady 

 Downes and other varieties which require a high tem- 

 perature, and be started not later than the middle of 

 March, so that the fruit may become ripe before the 

 leaves begin to fade. It will then keep well into the 

 next year. 



White Frontignan. — Growth free. Leaves roundish, 

 open at the base, not deeply (sometimes scarcely) lobed, 

 but having deep serratures; midrib not bristly. Bunches 

 long, conical; berries middle-sized, round; skin white; 

 flesh somewhat thinner than that of Royal Muscadine, 

 and possessing a rich delicious Muscat flavour. In the 

 South of England it will in some seasons ripen tolerably 

 well on an outer wall. It can be grown to perfection in 

 a vinery with Black Hambro, and is worthy of cultiva- 

 tion on account of its rich flavour. 



White Nice.— A very old, second-rate Grape, seldom 

 cultivated at the present day. Its proper place is in the 

 latest vinery, as the fruit requires a considerable length 

 of time in which to finish properly. Leaves very downy 

 beneath. Bunch very large and loose; berries medium, 

 somewhat oval; skin rather thin, greenish-white, pale- 

 amber when ripe ; pulp tolerably soft and juicy, but not 

 rich. Mr. Dickson, of Arkleton, excelled in growing large 

 bunches of this variety, the heaviest weighing 25 lbs. 

 15 ozs. 



White Tokay.— An excellent late white Grape of Tar 

 better quality than either Trebbiano or Calabrian Raisin. 

 Should be grown in the coolest end of the late vinery; 

 and the fruit is best cut and transferred to the Grape-room 

 as soon as the Vine has shed its leaves. Bunch medium 

 to large, broad-shouldered ; skin thick, rich amber colour 

 when highly finished ; flesh firm and agreeably flavoured. 

 Will keep a long time in excellent condition if well 

 ripened before being cut. 



Selection of Sokts. 

 For Walls in the Open Air. 

 Black Cluster. Pitmaston White Cluster 



Black Prince. Royal Muscadine. 



Miller's Burgundy. I 



For Cool V 



Black Hambro. 

 Poster's Seedlim 



mery. 



Madresfield Court. 

 Royal Muscadine. 



For Early Forcing. 



Black Hambro. 

 Buckland Sweetwater. 

 Duke of Buccleuch. 



Poster's Seedling. 

 Madresfield Court. 



For a Mid-season Vinery. 

 Alicante. Foster's Seedling. 



Black Hambro. Gros Maroc. 



Buckland Sweetwater. | Madresfield Court. 



Bowood Muscat. 



Mrs. Pearson. 



Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat 



For a Muscat Vinery. 



Muscat Champion. 

 Muscat of Alexandria. 



For a Late Vinery. 



Alicante. 



Alnwick Seedling. 

 Appley Towers. 

 Black Morocco. 

 Gros Colman. 

 Gros Guillaume. 



Lady Downes. 



Lady Hutt. 



Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat, 



Muscat of Alexandria. 



West's St. Peters. 



White Tokay. 



Alicante. 

 Black Hambro. 

 Foster's Seedling. 



For Forcing in Pots. 



Madresfield Court. 

 Royal Muscadine. 



For Exhibition. 



Alicante. 



Alnwick Seedling 

 Black Hambro. 

 Bowood Muscat. 

 Foster's Seedling. 

 Golden Queen. 

 Gros Colman. 



Gros Guillaume. 

 Gros Maroc. 

 Lady Downes. 

 Madresfield Court. 

 Muscat of Alexandria. 

 Trebbiano. 



[A. W.] 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



PINE-APPLE. 



Origin — Treatment — Soil — Manures — Moisture- 

 Light— The Meudon System — Hamilton System 

 — Cultivation — Manures — Varieties in Jamaica 

 — Insects — Propagation — Select List. 



The Pine-apple (Bromelia Ananas) is a native 

 of tropical America, but it is now naturalized 

 in the tropics generally, and in some countries 

 is largely cultivated as a field crop. 



According to Philip Miller (1768), the first 

 person who succeeded to grow a Pine-apple 

 fruit in Europe was M. Le Cour, of Leyden, in 

 Holland, who, after a great many trials with 

 little or no success, did at last hit upon a proper 

 degree of heat and management so as to pro- 

 duce fruit equally good, though not so large, 

 as those produced in the West Indies. It was 

 by M. Le Cour that English gardens were first 

 supplied with plants. 



The temperature most suitable for the Pine- 

 apple is a mean of 70° in the coldest period of 

 the year, and about 83° in the warmest, with 

 a range of 8° or 10° between the coldest at 

 night and warmest in the day. As the days 

 lengthen, the mean should be gradually raised 

 from 70°, the lowest, till in the summer months 



