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pines. The same Report states that For export parposes the more 

 common kinds, such as the Jamaica Black Pine, appear te be in 

 greater request than tie Ripley, as the latter does not travel so well." 



The Eeport for 1884 gives the following list of varieties then grown 

 at Hope : — " White Eipley, Black Eipley, Sugar-loaf, Prince Albert, 

 Montserrat, Cuban, Providence, Scarlet (Queen), Trinidad (Pitch Lake), 

 Black (Antigua), Queen, Lady Beatrice, Smooth Cayenne, Thompson's 

 (smooth) Cayenne, Moscow Queen, Lord Carrington, and Enville 

 Queen." Many of these were obtained, through the Royal Gaidens, 

 Kew, from Windsor Castle, and from Lord Carrington's nurseries. 



In the same Report the Director states "I am glad to report that 

 the cultivation of this valuable and luscious fruit is greatly extending, 

 and that the exports shew a marked increase on those of previous 

 years. In the neighbourhood of all ports and especially where the 

 soil is of a free, sandy or gravelly nature, affording good drainage, 

 pine-apples might be extensively planted." 



In the Report for 1896-97 the Superintendent of Hope Gardens 

 draws attention to the markings on the leaf of the Green Ripley, and 

 points out that by carefully studying these markings, plants producing 

 poor, and generally worthless fruits, maybe detected at an early stage 

 of their growth, and discarded. He says "the Green variety has a 

 pale green leaf, with red stripes situated on different parts of the leaf, 

 the stripes being very pronounced in some plants, varying from a 

 dark red stripe an inch in diameter to none at all. As far as my 

 observations go at present it is only when the Green variety 

 has the broad red stripe, and that situated in the centre of the 

 leaf, that the plant is worth growing; the totally green-leaved plant, 

 or the plant with a narrow stripe, especially when the stripe is on 

 the edge of the leaf instead of in the centre, is not worth anything, 

 the fruit produced usually having holes near the base into which ants 

 creep, and by eating the fruit start it rotting." 



He continued his observations, and in the next Report he states 

 " The plants have been kept under strict observation with a view to 

 determine what difference might be made by selection and cultivation. 

 Plants have been propagated, by slips only, of fifty-five plants, thus 

 raised from plants with correct markings which are now about a year 

 or nine months old. Twenty- three have developed bad markings, i.e. 

 red marks on outside of leaves ; thirty-two plants have the correct 

 markings. Of eleven plants raised from parents with markings on 

 the outside of the leaf as well as in the centre, ten have developed 

 bad marks, one only developing correct marks. Of seventeen plants 

 raised from parents with markings on the outside of the leaf only, 

 fifteen have developed bad marks, and two have leaves devoid of 

 colour. Another curious thing noted is that, in the two latter in- 

 stances, in some cases the main stem has failed to develop, assuming 

 a twisted form, and developing side shoots only. Five plants of the 

 eleven mentioned as having markings on the outside of the leaf, as 

 well as in the centre, have degenerated in this way, and three out of 

 the batch of seventeen. None of the plants raised from parents with 

 correct markings have degenerated in this way." He further states 

 that " Artificial manure has proved of the greatest value, increasing 

 the vigour of the plants wonderfully, and adding nearly 1J pounds to> 



