The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-03-09
The Pineapple. No. Ia
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! Plants are raised from suckers
| (above.ground $40 lons), Offsets from
tie base OF the fruit( crowns (the
| mass Of leaves terminating the truitl,
| and crownlets lwhere the last is in
! multiple, or cockscomb). latent OF
undevelopod buds and prominent
| buds upon the fruit,Stalk lthese last
are treated similar to gvape-eys cut
lings), and seeds. The first three
are familiar TO most readers, and are
the general mode of propagation prac-
ticed in Florida. a prejudice
against crowns beng used is enter
tanned by some people as being long
er IN coming TO bearing; with equal
facilities they are fully as good as
suckers OH that point.
Suckers are TO be preterrsd, and
in order 10 make a good start, should
be carefully detached from the par
ent plant when the fruit is halt
grown, and AS soon as possible
rooted Ii the base is injured in The
process. expose it in the sun tor a
day and il will harden over. More
exposure and letting them remain
away from the soil is quite unneceS-
sary.
OF course harm will not immedi-
ately accrue, and say injury will not
be apparent for a considers bic time,
still roots are just AZ necessary to
these plants AZ 10 rose or . gera-
mum. The evaporation OF the juices
that constitute the lie OF the plant Is
slower in the one than the other, and
when carried beyond certain stage,
both lose their vigor III making
roots, theu they are incapable OF be-
ing rcsurected. A living mouse is
better than dead lion; and all rs.
tablished plant in it's infancy is half
the battle won. The pineapple is
divaporous i'll some of its parts, and
particularly SO with the offsets.
And beautiful provision is made
by nature in warm countries tor their
increase, 10y this means, which if any
thing can point the better way surely
man can not have a better teacher.
Nature never yet denied the heart
that loved her, and her ways are al
ways the speediest and best. l
question much il any OF my readers
have seen u pineapple rottlng Oh its
stalk. much less acres as | have seen,
from inability OF PEG pie and animals
to consume them. The weight of
the apple during this period inclines
more and more every day from its
vertical position on the stalk till
finally it becomes PROSTATE among
the mass of leaves and surrounding
rubbish. Then offsets still attached
send out each ariel roots till, catch
ing hold of the ground, at once de-
tach and set themselves up as indie
pendent plauls. 1t is In this way
that tracts OF countries are quickly
over-run. The suckers, such as
would be selected here are i'll closer
proximity to the parent and abide by
it, often giving later succession IN
fruit; the offsets may be termed
the extension plants In carrying it
into new feeding grounds. Crowns
and crownlets are quite as effective
AS suckers when well rooted and
started i'll growth early,
Buds are used when II is desired
10 increase q scarce and choice vari-
ETY., aud they require considerable
attention in watering and shading to
cause then, to sprout and develop
themselves that it Is not recon-
mended tor common kinds when off
sets ATE plentiful. Seeds are small
and found imbedded in the pulp OF
the iruit. They are sown as soon
after being taken from the ripe apple
as possible. Prepared boxes and beds