The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-12
Many Odd Plants
Kin to Pineapple
Botanist Describes Some Of Most Remarkable
of 900 Species Valued for Fruit, Fibre,
Ornamental characteristics
By WILLIAM ALPHoNso MURRILL,
New York Botanical Garden.

tineapples under shelters 10 protect them
nom possible frost In winter and from the
burning sun In summer. In Florida THESE
are made OF cypreAa latha. with spaces De-
tween them, supported on posts about eight
feet from the ground. Their minimum cost
IA about $500 to the acre. In some parts
OF Europe such sheltera. or "slattenes' are
used 10 protect delicate flowers like the nner
Iunda OF chrysanthemuma when grown In
the open Bananas are sometimes used TO
shade pineapples In regions where the sun
N unusually hot.
Where We Get Our PinsspPlss.
Singapore was formerly the chief source
OF the worlds supply OF pineappea but our
fresh fruits now come mainly from the West
Indlos-especRlly from Cuba Porto Rico
and the BahamAs-and our supply OF canned
fruit from Hawaii, The frSt attempt TO
CROW the pineapple In the United States
was made at st. Augustine IN 1850 Florida
however, can never hope 70 compete with
her more favored rivals In this industry.
= The variety usually seen IN our markets
10 the Red Spanish. which Ia a good shipper
and 10 commonly planted that the suckers
are inexpensive and easily obtained. AZ
from 5000 TO 1900 Of these suckers are
needed for an acre OF ground, the plants Do
ing grown one and half To three feet apart
each way. their initial cost Ia quite an item
10 the new planter Many improved varie-
ties however. are gradually finding their
way into the better markets, where they
are called garden pines In contrast 10 the
common "field pines" Among these the
sugar Loaf and Queen are Of medium size
and excellent quality, while the inely ma
Ia. NJ "a n
its type are much larger. In Cuba the
smooth Cayenne ana Porto Rico have been
tried because they are large and snowy, but
the Sugar Loaf and Ripley are preferred
for home consumption
Gathering the fruit Ia often painful proc
eos because OF the sharp teeth on the leaves
Of the plant II is picked NJ least week be-
fore Il is ripe and carefully wrapped In
raper and Grated. In shipping great care Is
taken against bruising or freezing, the nner
binds usually being more sensitive to injury
Since the Juice of the unripe fruit In causue
md attacks the lining OF the stomach one
must see to II that only the fully ripened
fruits are eaten. Freshly sliced pineapple
Is greatly Improved In flavor by covering II
with sugar in deep dish and keeping II In
refrigerator for twenty-four hours before
serving, but no treatment can make II equal
10 the fruit ripened on the plant In the held'
Relatives Of the Pineapple.
This is one great advantage In canning
plneapples instead OF shipping them fresh;
they are allowed TO mature fully before be-
ing gathered Since 1899 Hawaii has deyel-
oped the canning industry toa remarkable
tStent, specializing on the Smooth Cayenne
variety. which has very little hbrc and at
tains a weight OF six 20 eight pounds. The
canning is all done by machinery, the slices
being cut of uniform size and the trimmings
heink made up into grated pineapple or
cubes for cooking. soda water. &C. The
i; Ice is also canned but much OF II untor-
'rnAtely goes TO waste, since no process has
vet been invented for converting II into
orystallized sugar.
The members Of the Bromeiioeede, or pine
apple family are mostly epiphytes or air
plants" growing on the trunks Of trees and