The Irish standard., 1902-01-18
THE CULTURE OF pINEAPPIFS,
Interesting Facts concerni.e an In.
dustry That 10 Attracting Gov.
Ornamental Attention.

Interesting Facts Concerning an In.
dustry That IL Attracting Cow
Ornamental Attention.
Something of the interest that at
taches to the pineapple is due to the
fact that it is an American plant by
origin. Like tobacco, the potato and
Indian corn, it is gift Of the new
world to mankind. The early Span
iards discovered it in South America,
and in the seventeenth century it
was cultivated in Holland and in Eng
i land, though it's use was confined to
royalty.
Recent Investigations of the de-
partment of agriculture show that
outside of the larger cities in this
country it is almost impossible to
obtain a pineapple. The entire sup
ply seems to be absorbed by the inn
portant centers of population, and
none of the fruit is shipped to minor
points. This would indicate, says the
Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post.
that the market might be consider
ably expanded and, on the other
hand, great areas in this country not
utilized for the purpose are we'll
adapted for the production of pine
apples. Besides, our new insular pos
sessions afford exceptional oppor-
tunities for such crop, especially
the Philippines, and in the Hawaiian
islands the plant is cultivated very
extensively, even growing wild in
many places where it has escaped
from gardens.
In Florida nowadays pineapples
are being grown to large extent un-
der sheds with lath roofs, which give
the plants sort of half-shade that
is very beneficial to them. The fruits
produced under such conditions are
more tender and juicy than those
raised in the open. Also, the sheds
discourage frost, and retard the
evaporation of moisture from the
soil during drought.
The gathering of the ripe pineap-
pies is performed by men who are
provided with leggins and canvas nit
tens. Usually the man seizes the
fruit in both hands, and gives it q
twist, so as to break the stem half
an inch or so below the pineapple.
Some skill is required, for if the stem
be broken too short, the fruit is like
ly to rot in transit, and If too long
it has to be broken again later. Thus
gathered, the "pines" are hauled in
large baskets or crates to the pack
ing shed. In gathering some of the
fancy varieties the stems are broken
longer, and afterward at the packing
house are cut off even with the fruit,
the severed ends being covered with
paraffin wax to prevent evaporation
and consequent loss of flavor. Some
times, when the pineapples are suf-
fciently fine to pay the cost, the
plant is cut off at the ground and
carefully wrapped and packed entire
in crate or barrel. Thus treated,
with ventilation, the vitality of the
plant being drawn into the fruit and
causing it to mature much more sat-
isfactorily than if it had been taken
from the field and ripened for mar
ket in the ordinary fashion.
So much interest is taken by the de-
partment of agriculture in the future
of pineapple growing in this country
that special bulletin on the subject
is soon to be issued from the pen of Pc
ter H. Rolls, who has charge of the
governments tropical laboratory. Mr..
Rolls (from advance proof sheets Of
whose work the facts given herewith
are obtained) says that insufficient at
tention has been given by American
growers to the utilization of by-prod-
ucts of the plant. Small and defective
fruits can be worked up into MARINA
ladies'.
In a ton Of green pineapple leaves
are about GO pounds of an exquisite
fiber, which is largely utilized in the
Philippines and elsewhere in the east.
It is one of the finest known in the
vegetable kingdom, and fabrics made
from it are among the most delicate
in the world; they look like gossamer,
and will almost float in the air. For
lack of machinery, the material is sep
arated by hand, the ends of the threads
being glued together. However, Yam
kee ingenuity ought to be able to de-
wise quicker and easier method, and
thus profitable use might be found
for thousands of tons of pineapple
leaves which now are thrown away in
Florida.
1t is recommended that canning fac
tories be established in Porto Rico and
Hawaii for putting up pineapples-a
business which is not practicable in
Florida, owing to scarcity Of labor.
In the British West Indies there are
canneries which use from $4,000 to 50,-
600 "pines" each day, the peeling and
slicing being done largely by women
and children. The next processes are
to put the fruit into the cans, add
sirup, solder the receptacles and inn
merse the latter in steam cooking
vat.
An Inflated Royal House.
The queen of the Belgians, who has
Just celebrated her sixty-first birthday,