20 



is never below 17 or 18 degs. ; in September and Octo- 

 ber many of the plants are showing fruit, which comes 

 to maturity in time for the Paris season, which com- 

 mences in December, Such is a brief outline of 

 the open bed system, as practised at Versailles and 

 elsewhere, This treatment has not, however, been 

 found equally advantageous to every kind of fruit ; it 

 is only in the Cayenne, Enville, Jamaica, Providence, 

 and one or two other varieties, that the increase of 

 size has been most apparent; very little difference 

 has been perceptible in the size of the Queens (at 

 least at the Potager), and by far the greater number 

 of this kind are still grown in pots. The number 

 cultivated in this garden is above 2000 ; more than 

 two-thirds are Queens ; then follow the Providence, 

 Cayenne, Enville, and Jamaica. Many others are 

 grown for the sake of variety, such as Antigua, Poli 

 blanc, Moscow Queen, &c. &c. ; but the first named 

 sorts constitute the grand resource for the Royal 

 Family and Court. (Gard. Chron. 1844, 6.) 



BOTANICAL CHARACTERS. 

 Ananassa Sativa, the pine apple, is one of a genus 

 included in the Hexandria Monogynia class and order 

 of the Linnean system, and in the natural order Bro- 

 meliacese. It is the Bromelia ananas of earlier Bota- 

 nists. 



