SEPTEMBER. 
271 
Wheeler, of Warminster, contributed a collection ; by far the best was 
Masterpiece, a pretty model, but too small; yellow, disposed to be 
tinted. ]\Ir. Rawlings, of Bethnal Green, staged four highly promising 
flowers, which needed further development. Mr. Pope and Mr. Allen 
staged flowers of but ordinary merit. Collections of named Dahlias and 
Verbenas were contributed by Mr. T. Barnes, Mr. Sladden, Mr. Hall, 
and Mr. Matthews. Three pots of Japan Lilies, finely grown and well 
bloomed, were also sent by Mr. Matthews, of the Clapham Rise 
N ursery. 
THE PINE APPLE. 
Pines are no longer the aristocratic associates of turtle and venison. 
Free-trade has sadly lowered their prestige as the “prince of fruits ; ” 
and what used to set people wondering twenty years ago, may just now 
be seen at every Apple-stall in the kingdom at one shilling each, or a 
penny a slice. Judging from the slow sale and cheapness of these 
foreigners, their sickly nondescript flavour does not go down after the 
novelty of the first taste is over ; and in reality they bear no com¬ 
parison, in our estimation, to a good Windsor Pear or early harvest 
Apple. These inundations of foreign fruit, however, have nearly driven 
English-grown Pines from fashionable society, as a London fruit sales¬ 
man told me the other day, and has reduced the price of them from 
one-third to a half, to the loss of the London market-gardeners, who 
now find a house of Pinks, Roses, or even Capsicums, more profitable 
things to grow than Pine-apples. I do not, however, suppose English 
Pines will be entirely banished from the tables of the wealthy : they 
are too sterling a production to be dispensed with at the dessert, and 
their imposing appearance gives a character to it which confectioners 
would not willingly part with; and as the opinion generally entertained 
that they are expensive to grow is not altogether true, I will undertake 
their cause by sending you a few hints on their culture (if you can find 
room for them). In doing this I have nothing new to advance; m.y 
system is very simple ; and as the Pine plant itself is very accommo¬ 
dating, there is no difficulty to overcome further than what any amateur 
may undertake with the assistance of a pit or frame to grow them in. 
Sorts. —There are only a few kinds worth growing, and the amateur 
particularly should not trouble about novelties. For a large Pine the 
only real good one is the Providence. The Black Prince is handsome, 
but worthless to eat; the Trinidad inferior and shy; and the Enville 
is by no means so good as the Providence. For summer fruit, and 
indeed for the general crop, the true Ripley Queen deservedly stands at 
the head of the list; it grows freely, and fruits in from twelve to 
eighteen months after potting the suckers: none of the other kinds of 
Queen are worth naming excepting the Moscow Queen, which is a short 
stockv-growing Pine, and fruits equally free as the Ripley—the fruit a 
fine golden yellow, and flavour good. For winter and early spring 
there are two I can recommend, viz., the Old Black Jamaica, or the 
