41 



Each man has two 30 gallon barrels. The latex is washed 1 

 through a fine sieve together with the washings of the cups, and 

 the result of one clay's work usually fills one barrel. The next 

 morning the water is drawn off, as the creamy latex is on the top. 

 The barrel is then half filled with fresh water, which is changed 

 the same day. On the next morning all the water is drawn off, 

 and the cream poured out into frames to dry in the sun. The 

 frames are made of 1-inch by 2-inch strips, 5 feet long and 10 

 inches broad, and divided by cross pieces into 8-inch squares 

 The bottom is made of cotton cloth. In ordinary weather, three 

 to six clays are required for drying. In 1905, the average price for 

 Tula rubber and scrap was $1 gold per lb. 



PINE-APPLE GROWING IN JAMAICA. 

 By George Loutrel Lucas. 



Pine-apple growing as an industry has not proved successful in 

 Jamaica to the majority who have undertaken the business although 

 ideal conditions exist and shipping facilities are good. 



Much capital has been lost and discouraging reports have been 

 published far and wide condemning the business as being unpro- 

 fitable, whereas Jamaica has had to suffer and be blamed for the 

 ignorance and mistakes of so-called experts who have been sent 

 to the island at good salaries by too confiding capitalists. 



Jamaica is capable of growing the finest pine-apples in the world 

 and whilst Cuba, the Bahama Islands, Florida and Porto Rico have 

 for many years produced millions of splendid pine-apples which 

 have yielded and are still yielding the growers substantial incomes 

 and paying well on the investments Jamaica has had little but 

 failure to show. 



There is always some cause for failure of any kind and the 

 reason for the miserable condition of the pine-apple business in 

 Jamaica to-day can only be attributed to blind prejudice and 

 egotism. 



Other countries grow the only variety of pine-apple that has 

 proved pisofitable whilst Jamaica has been wasting time, energy and 

 money trying to grow those sorts that have never become popular 

 with the consumer and never will. 



Here we have the only reason for so many failures ; neither soil, 

 climate, location, money nor a knowledge of the ordinary rudiments 

 of cultivation have been at fault and whilst the system and methods 

 of growing pine-apples have been somewhat crude and could have 

 been improved upon, cultural knowledge has been sufficient to pro- 

 duce good crops had these crops consisted of the proper kinds of 

 fruit that could have been disposed of at a profit. 



The Smooth Cayenne Pine-apple at one time became a fad in 

 Florida and from that State it found its way to Jamaica where 

 large sums were expended for plants only to end in failure and 

 disappointment as it eventually did in Florida and to-day there is 

 hardly a Smooth Cayenne Pine-apple grown outside of the Azores 

 where it is cultivated under glass and other shelter, and where I 

 am told each pine-apple costs one shilling to produce. 



