The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-02-01
Indian River Notes and NOtiOns.-
No. ".
PINEAPPLE POINTS.
If Tho E7oY5f1fr A lttrjSE.

Editor Of The Florida AgricMtTist:
use the full name pineapple in~
stead OF pines because we are surN
rounded witt pines OF another sort.
The word tropical is used not in
it's dictionary sense OF pertaining to
the tropics" or "within the tropics"
but in its more sensible sense of ex-
empt from frost or not capable OF en-
during any degree OF frost without
injury, as tropical region, tropical
plant.
use the words planter and plans
tation not in their local sense, as re-
lating TO cotton or sugar farm and
its proprietor, but in the broader and
general sense planter is one who
plants and plantation is the place
planted.
have a notion that somebody is
in error in regard to some pineapple
Items that appeared inthe AGR1CUL~
TURlsT some time ago Your Rock
Ledge correspondent told us that
Capt. Baker, Of Key largo, "realized
Is cents for his crop paying $4,000
per acre." also that Indian River is
raising larger and fnr apples than
either Key LargsR lake w ORTIZ"
The last statement IS probably true
but the first is not believable by one
who knows anything of the facts. If
others believe it and make it tie basis
OF calculation for fortune in pines
apple culture they're doomed to dis
appointment. The writer evidently
did not believe it himself as he subs
sequenLly estimated Indian River
pibe-apples at s cents each and the
product per acre at $500. Even this
is a large estimate for fruit alone,
but for both fruit and plants it is not
far out of the way. Ten thousand
apples to the acre is too heavy, for
most people set only that number OF
plants per acre and If two-Jhirds of
them fruit it is more than an average.
They can be made to do much better
than tits, but l Speak Of what they
are made to do. When we came
here the fashion vas to mulch and
not cultivate. If you hoed Them they
would die, and ii you didn't mulch
them they would die. But l did the
first and lett the second undone, and
with this double deadly dose they
didn't die. Now the impression
seems to be general that mulching is
not necessary and hoeing is benetic>
lal. The industry here is yet in its
infancy and | think the next five
years will see a great change both In
methods and results. There is a
growing demaad tor large
fruit, and large apples bring
fancy prices. A thirteen inch apple
brings 10 certs, fifteen inch one 10
cents ana seventeen inch apple ~
cents. These are the prices at which
sold mine the past season. Crowd"
ing 2x2 1eet, and want of cultivation
gives small fruit, while wide planting
3x3, and frequent cultivation will
give large fruit. The first method
might give an average OF 5000 thir'
teen inch apples per acre worth $5O0
The last would be likely to give
1000 IL inch apples worth $780,
1000 l6 inch apples worth III
900 II inch apples worth 20C
Making total of $G7'
We do not yet know with any de-
gree OF certainty the distance apart
that will give the best results, neither
the kind and amount OF cultivation
nor the best fertilizer My impress
sion is that there are possibilities in
the direction of the production OF
large trait, and he who first attains