New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-24
PINEAPPLE GRO WING.
AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRY ON THE EAST
COAST OF FLORIDA.
THE pIcKERs HAVE To WEAR MITTENs-PLANTs
MATURE IN TWO YEARS INCREASING
YIELD-AvERAGE PROFITS.

YIELD-AVERAGE PROFITS.
Jensen. Fla. June % (s7eciaD.-Mittens IN mid
summer, The combination seems incongruous. yet
the traveller up and down the Indian River at this
season of the year-and 1t IS practically midsum-
mer in Florida already-is constantly confronted in
the country stores with signs Ike this: "Mittens.
Mttens! Singles % cents doubles 30 II he Is new
in the country and If he has any curiosity he VIII
learn upon inquiry that these mittens are not Tor
keeping off the cold. but for protecting the hands
of the pineapple pickcrs. Sometimes they are dis
PLAYED on lines strung across the store. and they
are queer things TO look at-rldcy shaped gauntets
Of coarse white duck canvas; long enough 10
reach from the finger-tips 10 the elbow, ana pro-
vlded with pocket for the foreiinger as wei
as for the thumb 4 protection of some Klnd IS
absolutely necessary for the pineapple pckers, the
long narrow leaves of the plant bristling all about
the app,e in the centre. and their edges being az
sharp and dangerous as saw teeth. These mittens
are so far the best device known for the purpose.
The picker has both hands mittened; with the left
he SEXES the plant and pushes away the leaves
from the fruit. while with his right he twists OH
the apple from stalk being careful TO leave the
suckers" which grow in circle all about It's
base These suckers are used for setting ont new
plantations. and IN great demand all through
the pineapple country after the crop Is OH ana
marketed.
Harvesting Of the pineapple crop Is In progress
on the lower East Coast OF florida. The pania-
southwark TO Jupiter. along the shores Of Lake
Worth through the fertile lands bordering on Bay
Bscayne and the waters tributary TO 1t. ana out
upon the Keys as far Key West. With the eX-
ception of comparatively small acreage IN Po.K'
De Soto Manatle and Lee counties. on the other
side OF the Peninsula. those East Coast Plantations
constitute the pineapple area Of Florida. As yet
tba Riscavne Bay growers and those on the Keys
have no transportation for their pines except by
boats and sma! schooners. but the new railroad mas
nenctrated as far south as West Pam Leach on
Lake Worth and this saves all the way from thirty
six 10 fifty hours In transporting the iru't - market
As a general thing the railroad runs close 70 the
,lantations in many instances cutting them IN
two and in cases where the crop is large. side
tracks have been built for the convenience OF the
shippers.
not including the Keys-is estimated this year all
the way from 1000 10 5000 crates. These crates
are IN size about that Of the regulation orange box
but in weight they Will average. when hI!ed WIN
pines" over twice az much Inc reiB"' agents
figure on about lCO pounds 10 the crate or 40 crates
TO the car But sometimes nearly 800 crates are
slowed away I'm a car II are scarce. The aver
age number OF pineapples TO the crate ~ sNty-iour
but the fruit varies in Size. some varieties grow
ing very large and heavy 4 conservative estimate
Of this years crop is about 5000 crates. or fully
100000 pineappes. Last years crop was about
q oo crates and the largely increased acreage COM
ing into bearing this season led 10 estimates OF inc
crop early in the season as high as 'OVO cTates->
or double that OF 1893 But Of late there has been
q scarcity Of rain and in consequence the frut IS
late in maturing and in all probability the size aNd
quality Of II Will be slightly inferior TO last years
AS transportation facilities better this season
than last. the fruit will undoubtedly reach market
in better condition. =. -. -,
Heretofore the pineappes Of the East Coast have
melted the growers all the way from AZ 10 cents
apiece on an average. although some large Fancy
varieties would bring in from ~ 10 10 cents ehCh,
If this years crop should net cents apiece-whch
now seems alogetheT pTooaDiethiS noT Fasy Coas
for distribution amonS the srowerS roc sum ss
than the former amount or more than the latter
The marketing season extends over aDCut heFen
The middle OF July. There are some late varieties
and some late loads. that few straggNng snip,
nents continue up into the month OF August ana
So great has been the stimulus given 10 the pine
a 5d n Sr6p Of fay i5 is expected in
1885 The como Gne ,b no cost of eYao1
is not great Il grower OF fourteen years expert
ence gives the following figures:
Cleaning one acre OF land T5
Piants-l4cO at 80 per -
se e4d Of G p1anfshTst two @
Fertilizer ............ ..'''.''.'.''''''''''.' "
- .................. $3.50
II the land cost 800 per acre-an average price,
this would make the cost Of one acre ~ me emo
cent for interest on the investment taxes. etc-or
grand total of s5is So The yied per o acre al te enc
for every plant; but fair estimate would De I-,Ny
apples which at cents apiece ne, won We % 0' T
This Is sometime oyer r c per f tbre G
40 a pep Gs or F Clearing the land for
plants or setting them GHt 81 ina laf scker1
some OF our pioneer growers here have grown
rich in the business 1t Is said that one year crop
Rchards OF Eden, about three miles north OF here.
There is no Industry in the world which pays pei,
by the year 1900 it promises to yield an aggregate