The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-11
Pineapple Growing.

tant subject and to utilize green food
more freely than is generally done.
Pineapple Growing.
The pineapple fields Of Florida are
located on a high ridge of land ly-
ing between the Indian river and a
northern extension of the Everglades.
writes r. L. Goodwin in The Farm
er. 1t stretches from FIT. Pierce "a
rapidly growing, progressive town OF
about 1000 nhabitants) south about fif-
teen miles. The ridge is from one
quarter to a mile in width. The north
ern extension of the Everglades is a
body of clear water grown up with
masses of saw grass and lilies of vari-
Gus kinds. Acres of pond lilies may
be seen here The Florida East Coast
Railway runs right through the plan
tations and tourists often are dsap-
pointed in not seeing the pineapple
trees. The pineapple plant is not
large, growing to about a hight of
four feet at maturity. The top, grow
ing out of the apple, called a crown,
is a full grown plant in miniature
These crowns are often planted when
slips and suckers are scarce. To plant
a crown successfully, twist it out of
the apple, cut off all the fruity part,
tear off dozen of the leaves around
the bottom and you will see little
eyes that when planted become roots
The plant will grow slowly, but in
two years should bear fruit. When the
plant bears its fruit it gives one fruit
70 the plant, standing upright on 4
single stem. The apple is surrounded
with slips, small plants growing out
Of this stem When it is broken off
for market the slips are left on the
stem to grow to from six to twelve
inches in length, when they are broken
off. trimmed by having the basal
leaves pulled off, and then planted in
rows 20X20 inches. about 1900 to the
acre.
They are then hoed with d scuff1e
hoe "a tiat-bladed implemenD about
once month. fortified. first with
good pinch of cotton seed meal and
tobacco dust dropped in the heart of
the plant, then, three months later.
LOCO pounds of the same mixture is
broad-casted and worked into the
ground. After that a ton of high
grade 10 per cent. blood and bone.
with 300 pounds of high grade pot
ash, is broadcasted twice a year over
the plants. The plants bear indefinite
ly, for when one fruits it sends up
from one to five suckers. which bear
the following year. Occasionally plants
get too thick and die out in Spots.
The dead plants are pulled out and
new suckers torn from surrounding
plants are planted in their place.
The pineapple has few enemies. and
those it has are easily controlled. A
pineapple field, after the first year,
requires very little care, except fer
tilizing at proper times, and harvest
ing the crop. The Tabor is done most
ly by negroes who receive 81 so per
day of ten hours work. They live
III the packing house, usually in the
upper story.
The plants have sharp, serrated ed
ges, which necessitates wearing can
vas leggings and canvas mittens. The
picker wades right into the field, picks
the fruit and losses it to a catcher
IN the alley, who places it gently into
a hand cart, which, when full. is
drawn by the catcher into the pack
ing house, where skillful and rapid
packers wrap the fruit in paper and
place II in crates. The fruit packs
IN three layers, eighteen, twenty-four.
thirty and SO to the crate; sometimes
Gull sizes, forty-two and forty-eight
are packed. The fruit is picked green
ana rlpens in transit-six to eight
days journey by freight-to Northern
markets. The Indian river pineapple is
more matured than the Cuban fruit
Wheh picked. An apple picked ripe
from the plant is sweet and so iuicv
that the juice runs down to ones ell
BOWS when eating it. The ripe fruit
may be sent by express quite safe
ly and will remain in good condi-
ton for two weeks after receipt in the
North.
We never think of using sugar on it
at the table, as it is so sweet. The
pineapple contains a principle akin to
pepsin, called bromelin, that has A
very decided digestive action. Pine
apples, if eaten freely, will allay all
pangs of indigestion. This industry
was introduced about forty years ago
but 1t has mostly developed in the
past ten years, since the Florida East
Coast Railway was built. The soil is
sandy and almost devoid of plant food
and humus. This section, thirty years
ago, was pronounced worthless land
and so marked on the government
charts. To-day men are growing rich
on ten acres of bearing fields An
acre Will produce from 300 tn 5O0
crates, which will net the grower from
500 TO $3.50 per acre. Land may be
bought from $50 up to $50 per
acre, according to location and adam
liability.
An acre of pines may be planted
at the following cost: Clearing land
$50; 10000 slips at So, $72: fertilizer for
two years, $50; additional labor. $40.
total, S212. Plantations already hear
ing may be bought for about $500 per
acre. with house and other innrove-
ments, and the crop would pay for if
all IN two seasons, but few plantations
are for sale.