2 



Report upon the Varieties of Pine-Apple, 



1824-5 it was thought advisable to publish a catalogue of the fruits 

 then growing in the Garden. As the number of Pines at that 

 time was very inconsiderable, printed forms with ruled columns 

 were sent to such Members and Correspondents of the Society 

 as were known to be extensive cultivators of that fruit ; in these 

 were to be noted the name, character of the leaves, character of 

 the fruit and usual weight, usual time of ripening, age at which 

 the plants fruit, from whence obtained, and such other observations 

 and remarks as the nature of the cases might admit of. Fifty-eight 

 of these forms carefully filled up, were returned to the Secretary, 

 by which means the foundation was laid of the collection we possess, 

 and a mass of information was obtained, that has been of the greatest 

 service in drawing up this paper. Plants were liberally supplied 

 by the gentlemen by whose orders the returns were filled up; 

 about the same time some valuable additions were received from 

 Correspondents abroad ; and thus it was found possible to enume- 

 rate ninety five sorts in the catalogue. In the year 1828 the col- 

 lection had increased to four hundred and fifty names, but so great 

 a number of these were duplicates that, five of the catalogue names 

 remaining uncertain, the whole of the remainder are reduced to the 

 following fifty two distinct varieties. 



In order to facilitate their discrimination, I have first separated 

 the kinds reputed to be species, which are readily known by their 

 peculiar habit, and I have then distributed the varieties of Ana- 

 nassa sativa, or the true Pine-Apples, in classes and divisions, cha- 

 racterised by such distinctions as have been found by experience 

 most permanent. After much consideration it has been determined 

 to employ the different degrees of serrature in the leaves as the 

 primary mode of division, because it is they that cause in the greatest 

 degree that natural habit of the varieties by which a practised eye 

 will recognise them without an inspection of the fruit. The groups 

 so formed are the least artificial that could be discovered, for the 



