THE FXOKIST AND NOMOLOGIST. 



easily grown to a fine plant, so that there is little difficulty in getting large 

 fruit : this I had learned from considerable experience many years since. At 

 one time I entertained a high opinion of it, and increased my stock of it as 

 nrnch as I could ; but further experience of it has taught me that though the 

 fruit are in general large and handsome, that they are sometimes apt to decay 

 in the lower part before the top is thoroughly ripened, and that the very finest 

 fruit when ripe will only keep a short time. All the large kinds of Pines are 

 notoriously bad keepers, and the Cayenne Pines are as bad as any. I have 

 sometimes kept the fruit in a sound condition for three weeks, but not always. 

 If the weather be hot and close it will begin to get dark and black in ten days 

 or a fortnight, and at the end of three weeks they will not be fit for use. This 

 I have experienced over and over again, whilst the Ripley Queen under the 

 same circumstances has been perfectly sound and good at the end of six weeks. 

 In winter I have invariably found the Black Jamaica keep twice as long as the 

 Cayenne. This question of long keeping I consider one of great importance, 

 both to the private and commercial grower. To the private grower, because 

 even in the largest establishments it will sometimes happen that a number of 

 fruit may be ripe when not much wanted, and at other times when most wanted 

 there may be only a few ripe : therefore those sorts of first-rate quality which 

 will keep longest in good condition are in my very humble opinion best deserv- 

 ing of extensive cultivation. To the commercial grower the kinds that keep 

 longest are doublv as valuable as those perishable sorts which, because they 

 will not keep, he is oftentimes compelled to sell at a ruinous low price. Put a 

 half-dozen Cayenne Pines and half a dozen Ripley Queens into a fruiterer's shop at 

 midsummer, and see which will be most fit for table at the end of three weeks. 

 Again, in winter, put some Black Jamaicas and Cayennes and see which will 

 be in the soundest state at the end of four weeks : the Cayennes will most 

 probably be half rotten, whilst the Black Jamaica are in the soundest state. 

 Perhaps Mr. D. Thomson has not had much experience in this matter. I have 

 had some, and am, therefore, not writing from hearsay evidence. In very large 

 collections it may be desirable to grow a few Cayennes, Providences, Envilles, 

 Otaheites, Trinidad, &c, for size and variety : but for general use and quality 

 there are none better than the Ripley Queen in summer, and Black Jamaicr in 

 winter. The Queen will keep in summer from six to eight weeks, and the 

 Jamaica will keep equally long in winter, so that when a tolerable stock of 

 these sorts are grown there can be no scarcity of Pines at any time of the 

 year. 



I feel pretty certain that the variety I had was the true, though it did not 

 come from the source whence Mr. D. Thomson says the true variety had sprung 

 exclusively. I believe other parties in this country had it as soon as they had 

 it at Frogmore. I know Mr. Spencer had it at Bo wood more than twenty 

 years ago, and I believe he got it direct from France. I should think Mr. 

 Spencer must know the true variety. If his plants were true so were mine, for 

 I first got them from him. 



I have also grown plants that came direct from France, but could perceive 

 no difference. I have also seen it grown in a number of places, and can hardly 

 be deceived as to the true variety. My experience of Cayenne Pines now 

 exceeds twenty years ; and as I was a considerable grower of them for many 

 years, and as I gave up growing them solely for the reasons I gave, I thought 

 the few remarks I made at page 43 would be a salutary check to some young 

 Pine-grower who may be very anxious to get a large stock of Cayennes. I am 

 Very much obliged to Mr. D. Thomson for his very kind offer to place one or 

 two plants of the sort he has in my hands for further trial, but I beg most 

 respectively to decline it. M. S. 



