584 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [March 1, 1904. 
' SanJing ' is not so common in Jamaica as in Flo- 
lida, where the soil is lighter and easily blown into the 
heart of the plants. Ants cause much trouble here, 
however, by carrying earth into the leaves ; but this is 
an effect, not a cause, and is flue to the presence of the 
mealy bugs which the ants try to protect, being fond 
of the sweetish secretion with which they cover the 
leaves. 
1 am but little acquainted with ' Spike, ' but have 
regarded it as due to careless selection or non-selection 
of suckers rather than as a disease. Profe?sor Rolfs, 
the biologist of the Florida Agricultural Experiment 
Station, seems to consider it as caused by improper or 
ill-balanced fertilizing. 
I have already referred to ' Tangle-root,' Autho- 
rities differ as to its nature, but I think that in the 
majority of cases it is simply due to poor preparation 
of the land, the roots being unable to freely enter the 
earth and so, winding about the butt, cause strangula- 
tion as the siock expands. 
VARIETIES. 
I presume that to a majority of people in northern 
countries a pine-apple is a pine-apple, just as to the 
average Jamaican a peach is a peach, yet the different 
varieties vary greatly in quality, appearance and 
merits. I think on the whole we should be thankful 
that propagators have not been too ambitious in rolling 
up a long list of names, as has been the case with 
oranges. The Florida Horticultural Society tabulates 
a list of seventy-three different varieties of oranges and 
that without synonyms. Counting the synonyms, 
which some enterprising nurserymen in Florida insist 
upon considering distinct varieties, the list swells to 
something like 110. 1 am a rather old orange grower 
but I doubt if I could identify more than fourteen 
of these, and to do so should have to include four 
of the Citrus nohilia class. Of course there are many 
others highly desirable, but I think that the average 
practical orange grower will make his grove of but 
seven or eight standard kinds. The same authority 
(and none is higher) enumerates eighteen varieties 
of pines as follows : — 
1. Abbaka 10. Ripley Queen 
2. Antigua, Black 11. Lord Carrington 
3. Antigua, White 12, Prince Albert 
4. Black Jamaica 13. Porto Rico 
6. Black Prince 14. Pernambuco 
6. Blood 15. Red Spanish 
7. Crown Prince 16. Smooth Cayenne 
8. Charlotte Rothschild 17. Sugar Loaf 
6. Egyptian Queen 18, Enville 
It is possible that some of the above may be the 
same under difierent names. On the other hand, there 
are some varieties not included, for example, the Tri- 
nidad of the English hot houses is not mentioned. 
Possibly the compilers considered it identical with the 
Porto Rico, — an error I think, though it may be a 
seedling or selection of that variety : nor does the list 
include a sub-variety of the Smooth Cayenne — the 
Variegated Smooth Cayenne bearing the same fruit 
but noticeable chiefly for its beautiful variegated leaves 
of green, white ana red stripes. But one Ripley is 
mentioned, whereas in Jamaica we know that the Red 
and the Green hipleys are very distinct. Still I men- 
tion, in this connection, the curious fact that a Green 
Ripley plant often throws out a red sucker or bears a 
fruit having a red crown, and vice versa. 
There are several varieties in the above list with 
which I am not acquaiuted. Probably some of these 
are known only in liot houses and have not been suc- 
cessful for open air cultivation. You are probably as 
familiar with the Jamaican sorts as I am ; perhaps 
more so, as my cultivation consists mostly of Smooth 
Cayennes and Kipleys. 
The Red Spanish, I think, Is identical with our Bull- 
Head, though I know many will differ from me. Cer- 
tain it is that I have often shipped Ball-Heads under 
(he name of 'Jamaica Piues, ' and .my.ageutB iu ISIew 
York hav* reported ' your Red Spanish have sold lot 
etc., etc' The Black Jamaica is desirable because of 
its siz3 ; it is also a very fair shipper. The Sam Clark 
(which, of course, is not included in the list I have 
quoted and which, I believe, is not known outside of 
Jamaica) has always been an interesting native variety 
to me, as I believe it has considerable possibilities. It 
is of a good shape, packing out nicely, and has a most 
showy and attractive crown. To a cultivated taste its 
flivonr is inferior and its acid distinctly ' raw.' If this 
can be modified by some generations of cultivation the 
variety will prove an acquisition. The Sugar Loaf, as 
largely g'rowu in Cuba as here, is so badly affected with 
'black heart' as to be of little value for shipping. 
While I believe there is a great field in the selection of 
our native pines, yet speaking from a purely commer- 
cial point of view, and considering the rapidity with 
which the planting of this fruit is being extended in 
other countries, I can but feel that the time must come 
in the near future when only the choicer varieties can 
find a market. The Porto Bico was at one time very 
popular for open air cultivation in Florida, especially 
along the Bast Coast, because of its large size. I had 
one in Bog Walk, in this island, weighing 14| lb. Its 
size, however, is its one and only merit. It is a shy 
bearer, requires double the room of other sorts, and in 
quality is no better than our Ball-Head or Black 
Jamaica. I do not think it is being planted largely 
now, better kinds having superseded it. 
The Abbaka somewhat resembles a very large Red 
Ripley though more conical at the base. It is much 
above the average size of piaes and is of delicious 
flavour — none finer for home use. In dry weather it 
ships very well (though this is equally true of nearly 
all sorts;, but during the rains it is extremely uncer- 
tain. Probably no other pine is so productive of slips. 
The Charlotte Rothschild is a well rounded pine of 
quality resembling the Smooth Ciyenne, its green 
crown prettily fringed with flue reddish pines. 
The Enville or Enville City is of medium size and 
excellent quality ; it is distinguished by having a mass 
of little orownlets instead of a single crown at the top, 
I have shipped so few of the Rothschild and Enville 
that I am unable to txpress an opinion as to their 
carrying qualities. 
The Golden Queen is excellent in quality for home 
use ; it is a poor shipper, however, and, like the Sugar 
Loaf, very subject to ' black heart,' 
The Egyptian Queen was at one time the favourite 
fancy pine in Florida. It was originally the Cleopatra 
its present and better known name being evidently the 
result of a rather shaky knowledge of Egyptian his- 
tory. It no longer holds the high place in the esteem 
of planters which it once occupied- It is in every way 
inferior to our Ripley. 
The Smooth Cayenne, everything considered, is to 
my mind the pine par excellence. Its large size, per- 
fect form, excellent flavQ ir and beautiful appearance 
rnake it a king of pines. It originated, I believe, in the 
English hot houses, later was grown in the Azores 
under glass but without heat, then carried to Florida 
where it is the rnost popular and most profitable variety 
grown under shelter, and is now being successfully 
cultivated in Jumaica. I must say I have seen speci- 
mens here equal in every way to any I have ever seen 
elsewhere. It is specially valuable for the English 
markets where size and beauty of appearance coaat for 
even more than flavour, 
I should be ' carrying coals to Newcastle ' to describe 
our famous Ripley before a Jamaica audience. Strange 
to say it was a failure iu Florida— for what reason 1 do 
not know — and I hardly recognized it when I caa e here- 
in the qualities which please the palate I consider that it 
ranks above the Cayenne, Surely nothing can be finer 
than our St. Andrew Ripley, It is also a good shipper, 
I have sent it to all parts of England and had excellent 
reports as to its condition on arrival, I rank ic with 
the Smooth Cayenne as the first among pines. Its on^ 
