The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-10

a cane into it to the depth of foot or
more. If left without any cultivation IL
viii become in time set with grass and 1
saw old fields that were abandoned dur
ing the war in which the grass was
thick and matted, standing as high as
my shoulders. This grass is tender and
nutritious. and the few cattle and mules
were fat and contented. They certainly
ought to be, as they never have TO lower
their heads TO eat. asked one Ameri-
can how many acres it took to pasture
one animal, and was told that he had
kept during the dry season four head
(three mules and enc cow on three acres
and that now since the beginning Of the
rains it VIII be safe to add another, and
possibly two.
This seems to be a favcrite place for
American fruit growers, and quite num-
Der have purchased land and have set
orange and pineapple groves. One Flor
idan purchased a grove Of go trees
that are in full bearing, and last year
disposed Of all his fruit to the Matanzas
market az good figures. There is a ira
dition that this grove was planted by an
American who abandoned it at the begin
ming of the war. The records show, how
ever, that it has belonged TO an old es-
tate for hundreds Of years, so If an
American had anything to do with it ne
certainly did not own the land It is
situated on a high, rocky ridge, the road
leading to it being one continuous solid
rock, and the grove itself is filed with
loose limestones. The trees are hardy
and remarkably prolific, and at present
are loaded with fruit in all stages of
growth from the size Of a pea 10 full
grown ripe fruit. The latter, however,
are comparatively few, as the main crop
will be harvested in December.
The orange like most tropical fruits,
bears a limited amount all the time, so
one among a small grove would never
want for fresh ripe fruit. Several mem
bers of the American colony have set
out pineapples. which are already in bear
ing. One man secured quite a lot on his
land and had one measuring % inches
around. When sliced for the table it
covered the plate and was certainly the
king Of its kind. It was of a bright
golden color, Of the variety known as
the Golden Queen. There were eight
others which threaten to ripen in a few
weeks. He is carefully saving all the
slips from these, as he hopes thereby to
improve the variety. Pineapples are set
in rows feet by IS inches and require
no care after the first year. About 5000
plants are required per acre and each
plant brings one pine. The plants send
out slips which bear the second year, 50
that the only thing needed is to cut off
the fruit when ripe. Each plant bears
but once, the new fruit being always borne
in the new slips. No cultivation is re-
CURED after the first year, as they are
30 thickly set as to cover the ground
and give no room for anything else to
grow. After about seven years they be-
come so thick as to choke each other and
so die out. or at least refuse to bear and
are plowed out. Each pineapple has
about eight shoots clustered at the top
around the fruit, and it IS these that are
used for setting out new ground. Flor
ida orange growers tell me that favor
tie way there was to plant pineapplas
and oranges on the same ground so that
when the pines bore no more it was time
for the oranges to commence and no
time was lost. Besides, it saved cuEiva-
ton. They. recommend the same for this
country All the trees here bear come
kind Of fruit so that the residents can
always count on some kind for tab e
use most Of the year.
The Americans settled here seem to be
all contented, happy and sure OF an in
dependent income in a few years. They
are mostly practical men and from them
7 hone to CLEAN information in many
questions asked me in regard to agricul-
ture. but which I have not been able to
answer.
1t has rained every day, but as I will
remain another week 7 hope to see all
there is worth seeing and shall keep my
eyes and ears open for all there is to
learn ]. d RHOADES.