Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-09-28
Pineapples.

Il
| or canned, and perhaps few word
about them may be interesting to Oxfor
County people.
The pineapple plant is from two t
four feet high, with very long, 50,
toothed, rigid leaves arranged In widel
spreading rosette, at the top OF whic
the single fruit is borne. The flowers
which appear at the "eyes' of the frui
are small, purplish blue and very slight
fragrant.
| After the fruit, which natures in frou
twelve to twenty months from planting
is cut of, the plant produces sucker
freely In the axil of the leaves, an,
these are used for new crop. Th
leafy crown, or topknot, on the fruit vii
soon grow into a new plant II planted II
suitable soil, but this is not often avail
able, because 1t is shipped away with th
fruit.
New plants called 'rattoons," also fire.
quently appear as offsets from the bas'
Of the older plants, and II these are givel
room for development they will supply
second crop in about eighteen months
1t Is customary to leave these "rsttoons'
in the field and fill in the spaces will
strong suckers from near the base of th,
plant. The "slips' or suckers near th'
top of the plant are smaller and require
q considerably longer time to fruit
Seeds are used only for purposes o.
breeding, since they do not produce frui
In less than ten or twelve years.
The pineapple is not very choice as t
soil, provided the water is properly reg
ulated. The roots of the plant will ro
in wet soil and there will be very little
juice in the fruit If the soil is too dry
However, belonging as 1t does to fam
lily consisting mainly of "air plants, il
will flourish In very dry, sandy soil Il
nourishment is added in the form Of
commercial fertilizers. In Florida cult
| vation is usually very slight because tht
soil is thin and too dry to support many
weeds. In Cuba the plants are growr
without fertilizer In heavy red land, se
fifteen inches apart on ridges, to Sc
cure better drainage. The "suckers'
are planted in late spring and the "slips'
In the fall.
Much has been written about growing
pineapples under shelters to proteu,
them from possible frost In winter anG
from the burning sun In summer. Ir
Florida these are made Of cypress laths
with spaces between them, supported or
posts about eight feet from the ground
Their minimum cost is about $500 to tbt
acre. Bananas are sometimes used tC
shade pineapples In regions where tht
sun is unusually hot.
Singapore was formerly the chie
source of the worlds supply of pinesp
pies, but our fresh fruits now com
mainly from the West Indes-especiall
from Cuba, Porto Rico and the Bahama,
and our supply of canned fruit from
Hawaii. The first attempt to grow tn,
pineapple in the United States was made
at st. Augustine in 1850. Florida, how
ever, can never hope to compete with bel
more favored rivals in this industry.
The variety usually seen in our mar
kets Ia the Red Spanish, which Is q goo(
shipper and 80 commonly planted ths
the suckers are inexpensive and easily
obtained. AZ from 5000 to $1,000 O
these suckers are needed for an acre o.
ground, the plants being grown one ant
half to three feet apart each way, theil
initial cost is quite an item to the new
planter. Many Improved varieties, how
ever, are gradually finding their wa!
into the better markets, where they arr
called "garden pines" In contrast to th'
common "field pines"
Gathering the fruit is often q painful
process because of the sharp teeth OF
the leaves of the plant. 1t is picked a
least q week before 1t is ripe and care
fully wrapped in paper and Grated. II
shipping great care is taken agains
bruising or freezing, the finer kinds usu
ally being more sensitive to injury
Since the juice of the unripe fruit i
caustic and attacks the lining OF tn,
stomach, one must see to 1t that only th'
fully ripened fruits are eaten. Freshl.
sliced pineapple is greatly improved II
flavor by covering 1t with sugar In deel
dish and keeping 1t in q refrigerator TO
twenty. -four hours before serving, but N
treatment can make 1t equal to the frui
|ripened on the plant In the field.
This is one gresl advantage In canning
pineapples instead Of shipping then
fresh; they are allowed to mature full,
before being gathered. Since 1899 Ha
wall has developed the canning industr,
to Q remarkable extent, specializing o.
the Smooth Cayenne variety, which ha
very little fibre and attains weight Q
six to eight pounds. The canning is al
done by machinery, the slices being Gu
of uniform size and the trimmings bein
made up into grated pineapple or cube
for cooking, soda water, etc.
The members OF the Bronseliaceae,
pineapple family, are mostly epiphytel
or 'air plants, growing on the trunk
of trees and In other aerial positions
rather than in the ground. They ar
herbaceous plants with berrylike or car
sular fruits related to the lilies, bu
quite different In appearance, havin
stiff leaves, conspicuous floral bracts,
herbaceous calyx, and an epiphytic habit
There are about forty genera and min
hundred species in the family, mostl
natives of tropical or subtropical Amer
ica.
Bromelia, named for the Swedish Dol
anlst Bromel, contains the pinguin, Q
wild pine, so much grown for hedges l
the West Indies, where 1t is native.
is plant three or four feet high, wit
wide-spreading leaves similar to those {
the cultivated pineapple, reddish flower
] borne in Q dense cluster, and fruits abou
the size of plume, yielding an agreeabl
, acid, cooling juice. Several species
Bromelia, including the pinguin, a
3 abundant In the wilds of Mexico, Centr'
America and Columbia, and they COL
: tain fibres of great value. The 1ne'
o Mexican hammocks, ~ we'll - gan
bags, fiddle strings, etc., are made
these Hbres.
"Pineapple f1bre", or "silk grass, ce
: ebrsted for Its extreme 6neness, strengi
o and lustre, is obtained from long. leave
= variety OF the common edible pineapp
, grown in the Philippines especially 4
q its fibre. It is woven Into beautiful piI
J. cloth, or exported for cordage, mixil
). with cotton, or using az substitute 4
n silk. This industry was tried In Florit
y but did not succeed.
% Made Slx.Ton Cheese.
70 The big cheese, which is annually Of
o OF the most interesting exhibits st Il
10 New York state fair, was made Aug.
10 at West Martinsburg, Lewis County,
% b. A. Reese of Lowville, who is famo
3 as q maker Of monster cheese for q
O. last three worlds fairs. LieutenantG Go
ernor Harry g. Walker and Comm
ID sioner Of Agriculture Hogue were PR
>. ent to watch the process, during viii
Q, the entire curd output OF several fact
.. ries Was used.
sr The monster cheese weighed abo
B. 70 00O pouudn Last wears Choe