100 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Pine-apple (Ananas sativa). — This delicious tropical fruit 
will not thrive to perfection in the open air in the Canaries. 
Small stunted fruits only are produced. The chief supply of 
Pine-apples received in this country comes from the Azores, 
where they are grown under glass. They are packed with the 
husk of Maize in flat hoxes, with a division across the middle, 
holding six Pines. There is no douht that Pines under glass 
would do extremely well in the Canaries. The glass would 
afford shelter and warmth. No artificial heat would be neces- 
sary. The great point in growing Pine-apples is to secure a 
suitable soil. One of the most successful cultivators of Pine- 
apples in this country gave the following advice on this point : 
" From old pasture or meadow ground strip off the turf, and 
dig to the depth of six or eight inches according to the goodness 
of the soil ; draw the whole together to some convenient place, 
and mix it with one-half of good rotten dung ; frequently turn 
over fo7' tiuelvc mo7iths, and it Avill be fit for use. This is the 
only compost which I use for young and old plants." This 
turfy loam could be obtained in considerable quantity from the 
grassy slopes above Teror in Grand Canary, and many places in 
Teneriffe. Pine-apple plants cannot stand fresh manure. They 
rot at once. To make Pine-growing a success, large well- 
favoured fruit only should be grown, and it should be shipped 
early in the year from February to the end of May. 
Common Fig^ {Ficus Carica) is practically wild in tlie islands. 
It loses its leaves in the winter, and during that period its 
bare leaden-coloured branches are widely dispersed over the 
country. There is hardly any tree so abundant. It grows in the 
most rocky and unpromising situations. It is seldom, if ever, 
cultivated. The peasants practically live on Figs during the 
crop season, and at Ilierro, where the best sorts are found. Figs 
are dried and exported to the other islands. They are, however, 
small and rather tough. Fresh Figs will not bear transit by 
steamer ; but it might easily bo possible to improve their size 
and flavour, and ship them dried in the same way as Smyrna Figs. 
A thousand tons of Figs are received in the United Kingdom 
every year from Turkey and the Mediterranean regions. 
Cherimoyer {Aiiuna chcruiLolia). — This is sometimes known 
in ilu! Canaries and IVIadeira as the " CusLard Apple." it is 
nuL, however, the true Custard Ap[)le, but a much superior fruit, 
