Vol. VJI. Xo. 150. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



21 



CULTIVATION OF PINE-APPLES. 



The QaarterLy JmiriKil of the Beng.-il Depai'tment 

 <it' Ai,'ni;iilciire (Octobei' ] !)07) discusses the chief points 

 connected with pine-ajipie gmwing, and give.s some use- 

 ful hints conceniino; methods of preparation of land, 

 manuring, propagation o) jilants, planting, and after- 

 culliv.alion. 



It is laid down that the ino.st important point to be borne 

 ia mind in pine-apple cultivation i.s the jjroper selection of 

 the soil. Satisfactory growth of the crop depends more upon 

 congenial physical conditions of the soil than upon its chemical 

 compo-sitton. The land must be of a loose and open , nature, 

 and above all, must possess free natural drainage. The j.ires- 

 ence of stagnant water around the roots is especially detrimen- 

 tal to the health and prosperity of the plants. This indicates 

 t'.e advisability of planting only on land with a porous suljsoil. 



The number of years during which a ])ine-applc planta- 

 tion will stand and give goo;! results dejiends upon the 

 thoroughness of the original cultivation. Before jjlanting 

 operations are started, it is recommended tint the grower 

 .should have the ground thoroughly trenched to a depth of 

 about I-t inches, and well cleared of all roots, etc. The 

 .surface should be reduced to as perfect a tilth as possible. 

 These operations will sweeten the land, improve its drainage, 

 and make it more retentive of moisture during drought. 

 If thoroughly done, too, the plantation will flourish a longer 

 time before replanting is needed — an important point to 

 remember, since frequent reiilanting adds considerably to the 

 cost of upkeep. 



I'otasli appears to be the mo.st important element 

 required by the [line-apple crop. This may conveniently be 

 added to the soil by means of occasional applications of wood 

 ashes. Phosphates are required in much smaller quantity 

 than potash, and when needed, may be given in tha form of 

 a light dressing of bone meal. .Sui>erphosphate is described 

 as an unprofitable fertilizer for this crop. 



A good supply of nitrogen, important for the projier 

 development of the plant.s, is best provided by growing and 

 ploughing in some leguminous crop, such as cow [leas, 

 woolly pyrol, or ground luits. The physical texture of the 

 soil is also improved by the green manure. 



The various means of propagating pine-apple plants by 

 ' suckers,' ' -slips,' ' crowMis ' and ' stumps ' are referj-ed to, the 

 use of '.suckers,' i.e., .shoots springing from near the base f)f 

 the parent plant, being preferred by most planters, on 

 a"count of the earlier return of fruit obtained liy this means. 

 ' Slips ' grow- from the base of the fruit, and often give rise 

 to excellent plants. 'Stumps,' or old plants which have 

 already fruite:l, are frequently replanted for the sake of the 

 vigorous suckers which spring from them. Whatever means 

 of propagation is employed, it is important that only pines 

 of tirst-rate quality be used as parent plants, since it is only 

 by adherence to this rule that a high standard of produce 

 can be maintained. 



Before planting, the lower leaves should he removed 

 from the slips or suckers, and it is advised that they should 

 not be set too deep, and that care .should be taken to prevent 

 any earth getting into the hearts of the young plants, since 

 this will almost certaiidy destroy them. 



Considerable diversity of opinion cxi.stsasto the distances 

 at which the young pines should be planted, but a jjlan 

 giucrally adopted is to set out the scions in rows about 9 feet 

 apart with a sj.acing of about 2 feet from plant to plant in 

 the rows. The advocates of close planting assert that their 

 method leads to early maturity and less necessity for weeding 



between the plants, wdnle. on the other hand, it is claimed 

 that stronger and healthier pines can Ije secured by allowing 

 wider spacing. 



Constant and thorough surface cultivation is necessary 

 for the best results to be obtained in pine-apple growing. In 

 large plantations the horse hoe should be used as much as 

 possible between the rows until the plants have spread and 

 occupied the whole si)ace, and hand-hoeing between and 

 around the plants shouhl be followed up in all cases. 



AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN THE 



WEST INDIES. 



The following is the concluding portion of the Presiden- 

 tial address delivered by .Sir.Daniel 3Iorris at the open- 

 ing of the recent Agricultural Conference: — 



I have given a brief review of the position and pro.spects 

 of agricultural effort in the West Indies during the la.st few- 

 years. My object has been to uplift the West Indian 

 Colonies into the view of one another and into the view of 

 the Mother Country and Canada, and of capitalists and 

 markets everywhere. Many of the facts brought forward 

 will be supplemented in fidler detail by information to be 

 laid before this Conference by those who have taken so active 

 a part in the w'ork. In estimating the results of previous 

 Conferences, I believe we are justified in regarding gatherings 

 of this character as of the greatest pos.sible value in organiz- 

 ing our etibrts and maintaining them on unifoi-ju lines so as 

 to produce the best i-esults. There is now harmony of action 

 and .sympathetic interest taken in agricultural matters in all 

 portions of the.se Colonie.s. The West Indies have shown 

 that they are capable of steadily responding to a .scientific 

 utilization of their resources. They have also fulfilled the 

 reasonable hojjcs that have been entertained in regard to the 

 pos.sibility of improving old, and the successful development 

 of new industries. Twenty-four years ago in a paper read 

 before the Royal Colonial Institute, I endeavoured to place 

 before the English people leasons for believinw that there 

 was even then a prospect of the West Indian Colonies enter- 

 ing upon a more prosperous career. Twenty years ao-o in an 

 address delivered before the London Chandjer of Commerce 

 I ex|>ressed confidence — a confidence in which I have never 

 wavered — that there was a hopeful future before these 

 Colonies, and that it was within the power of the people 

 themselves to realize that future, and to bring back .some- 

 thing of the former affluence of the West Indies. 



Since then we have gone far and ' done thino-s.' We 

 have interested one of the largest manufacturing industries 

 in Great Britain in our welfare. We have been told ' that 

 if it had not been for the fine Sea Island cotton i)roduoed in 

 the West Indies during the past few years, it is probable 

 that a good many of the mills in Lancashire using the finer 

 geades of cotton would have been obliged to work short time 

 owing to the scarcity of the raw material.' 



Still more recently, we have attracted the attention and 

 warm synqjathy of our vigorous and thriving kinsfolk in 

 the Dominion of Canada, and there are possibilities in that 

 direction also that may l)e pregnant of good to the West 

 Indies. 



A strong pull and a long pull should enable us to over- 

 come many of the difficulties that now confront us. W^e 

 would thus place the West Indies in the way of taking full 

 advantage of the numerous and valuable resources which, as 

 I have shown, are lying ea>ily within their reach. 



