510 



ON THE CULTURE 



BOOK II. 



ON THE THREE SPECIES OF INSECTS THAT INFEST 

 THE PINE -APPLE PLANT, WITH AN EFFECTUAL 

 METHOD OF DESTROYING THEM. 



Our nobility and gentry, with a spirit for garden- 

 ing not equalled by any other nation, have of late 

 years been at great expense in building large and 

 elegant hot-houses, in order to have the Pine-apple 

 in as great perfection as this climate will admit. Yet, 

 after all, they are frequently disappointed in their 

 hopes of success; not so much from the mismanage- 

 ment of these plants in point of culture, as from the 

 injury they receive from certain insects, brought 

 with, and generally found upon most of the Pine- 

 plants which come directly from the West Indies. 



There are three kinds of insects which breed 

 upon the Pine-apple plant. These are common 

 in many stoves in this kingdom. 



1. The Brown Turtle Insect. Coccus Hes- 

 peridum, Linn. This species is not only found 

 upon the Pines, and most other plants which grow 

 in hot-houses, but also upon 'many plants which 

 are kept in green-houses. These insects, after 

 they are arrived at a certain age, fix themselves 

 immoveably to the leaves of the plant j but, before 

 atht time, though they generally appear motion- 

 less, yet, on a close inspection, in a very warm day. 



