Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1909-05-28
|T0B PIn6dDDI6 Crop
Of ST. Lu0I6 GOuntu
Will Aggregate Over Five Hundred
Thousand Crates This Summer.

a Ihcie county is known through
J, ne country as the banner pine
'ooe county OF America" and prob
n, Inc world, yet many of its resi-
a.n,s-some of them pineapple grow
sn-who would be surprised to know
~ extent Of this great industry. SO
nndly does it increase from year to
,s,r that accurate data as to the ag-
s,sqate acreage and yield is somewhat
dIhleut 10 obtain,
Little dreamed Capt. Richards, the
uIooeer pineapple grover, when he
ulsuted few Bahama pines on his
Meu homestead thirty years ago that
he was laying the foundation OF an
. Industry that was to become mighty
1elor IN the prosperity of this section
Chief among the influences contri-
buiing 10 the growth of the pineapple
Industry are first, the growing popu-
lsrity Of the fruit itvelf. Nurtured in
perpetual sunshine on the sandy slopes
i d Indian River, it is indeed the king OF
slliruikkind. The flavor of genuine
4 Red Spanish pineapple, brought to full
maturity and ripened 10 the SIM, is
. comparable, inimitable, unimpeach-
sble and Irresistible The demand is
lyer In advance of the supply and will
lnpbiless remain so for many years to
Wne,
Second, the increased facilities tor
adding and marketing the crop.
Nhlle il is true that pineapple must
#pature 70 be &c 70 eat, 1t is equally
kao that 1t must reach the consumer
,portly after maturity. In the old
aeamboat days it was. well nigh i'm
HSible to put pineapples into the
nFthern markets in any sort of fit
Nudltion. The coming of the Florida
hst Coast Railway, however, facili-
Ned matters, and now that the in
Wslry has grown to such mammoth
Nopprtions the railroad makes special
Mrangementi for the speedy dispatch
q The summer yield.
Third, the class Of people engaged in
'he pineapple business in this section.
Il ~.
4uch depends upon the opportunity,
more upon the man. The phenomenal
nse Of pineapple culture on the East
Spast is due In greatest measure to the
eaergy and progressiveness Of the
Eowecs. They are scientific farmers
9eciallsts in their line-and therefore
.nccessful.
There are about 1920 acres Of pine
Pp'es on the East Coast, $500 OF which
10 ST. Lucie county. And of the
qp,OOO crates--a conservative estimate
y tae 1909 crop-St. Lucie county wall
''P O0O,OOO crates. The growers have
RFned local associations for mutual
pl0'ection aad benefit, thus enabling
mem to market their produce more adj
an'ageously and greatly reduce the
szpsnse Of packing and shipping.
ne Ridge Pineapple Growers Assoc
''aA0e, composed of twenty-one grow
- whose plantations lie just south of
sp'. Fierce, having as its officers A. n.
p00'nagle, president; Chas. Lord, vice
resident; r. L. Goodwin. secretary
- Y. 5, Bixby, treasurer, will ship
more than 10000 crates.
Inc Aukona Packing Company, with
Y Ankeney, president; G. w. Nc
sskln, secretary r. v. Ankeney,
''ssursri F. L. Hamor, field manager
- = a, Russell, packing house man
'sos viii ship 10000 crates.
4 "e prominent growers near Jensen
~. as'e already contracted to deliver 20
n !, Ssstes and will probably have more
= Minnesota Cooperative Planta-
~ u ~, At Viking, will ship about 20
cFaIes-a very conservative esti.
s's The other plantations north OF
,.' .' S'0ses will probably yield 10000
nutshell the net proceeds OF the
apple crop Of 1909 will enrich the
ses.s Of ST Lucie county TO the ex'
more than threerquarters Of q