105 



moderate heat, and their food only appUed in a clari- 

 fied state or in moderate quantities. Such plants 

 always maintain a green healthy stalk and foliage 

 until the fruit is thoroughly ripened. 



Indeed the pine apple is not subject either to di- 

 sease or vermin, unless it receives a peculiar or unna- 

 tural treatment. When it is infected with either, the 

 matter clearly speaks for itself that there is a mistake 

 in some portion of its culture ; and to obviate either, 

 instead of shaking the plants out, brushing and 

 washing them in a mixture of obnoxious drugs, still 

 causing them, for a time at least, to look more 

 disgraceful, we should recommend the system of 

 culture to be altered to a more genial one. This 

 being adopted and followed upon methodical princi- 

 ples, the pine plant, subsequently, will neither be 

 infected with disease or vermin for any length of 

 time. 



Excess of Gills. — This occurs chiefly to vigor- 

 ous plants, of which the growth has been suddenly 

 checked. The gills of pine plants are spurious suckers 

 shooting from the base of the fruit, or from the stalk. 

 Sometimes the whole length of the stalk emits gills, 

 which are very injurious to the swelling of the fruit if 

 allowed to remain for any length of time. Our prac- 

 tice is to take them carefully off with a sharp knife as 

 early as possible after they have made their appear- 

 ance. Lengthened observation convinces us that if 



