VEGETABLE STRUCTURE. 
U5 
been long known, and often examined. The Luxuriant Leaves of Kitch- 
en Garden Plants, the Curled Mallow, and the Daniili Mint, and a mul- 
titude of others, afford inftances of this excels in one kind, tire Double 
and Proliferous Flowers in another ; but the moft fingular of all, are thofe' 
which regard the Fruits of Plants. 
The Excefs in point of Curled and Enlarged Leaves, depends entirely 
on the effedl of an abundant molfture in the ground, fwelling the Blea, 
which makes their middle fubhance, and which, wherever it extends, 
carry the Membranes with it. As this is the confequence. of an extreme 
quantity of nourillnnent affecting that part, an extraordinary addit’on cf 
thofe fubflances to the Soil, which particularly ilrengthen tire Flcfl}, caufes 
Doublenefs in the Flower, by expanding . the Filaments in'o Petals, and 
often fpliting them to increafe the number; and tlmfe Manures which 
flrengthen the Blea, without fo great increafe, in the feme narnner caufe 
Proliferation, or the rife of one Flower from the center of another, in the 
ftead of Seeds. 
These fubjcdls I have had occafion to examine feparately, in two pecu- 
liar Treatifes, the Philofophy of which, experiments have fince repeatedly 
confirmed. The dodfrine of Proliferous f'ruits is a new fubje(ff ; the Couife 
of the Juices may be very ftrongly illufirated by it, and the prefent year 
has afforded a very happy opportunity in the fucceeding inftance. 
CHAP. XXXIX. 
Of the P R o L I FERGUS Pineapple. 
A MONO a number of Pineapples raifed two years fince in the 
Hand of Antigua, there appeared one of an extraordinary fize and 
form ; covered, as well as crowned, by its new offspring. This was 
brought into England, preferved in a kind of pickle and prefented to her 
Royal Highnefs the Princeis Dowager of Wales, who is pleafed to honour 
thefe ftudies with her moff gracious protedion and regard. The Root, 
the height of Stem, and common circumfiances of growth were the fam 
in this as in other Plants of its kind ; but the fruit, was, in the highefl de- 
gree, vvonderHl in its confcrudlion. 
In the common Pineapple the top of the Fruit Is terminated by a 
Crown of Leaves, arifing from a fmall flefhy Eafe ; and this is properly a 
young Shoot, which needs only to be feparated, and planted to grow^ 
The 
