42 



This variety is a watery, flavourless overgrown fruit with nothing 

 to recommend it but its appearance and size ; it is a shy bearer, 

 poor shipper, produces few suckers and no slips ; a pine-apple 

 unsuited to field culture being delicate and subject to Wilt and 

 other diseases. 



The Ripley pine-apple, so highly thought of in Jamaica, is and 

 has always been greatly over-rated and few outside of this island 

 consider it worth growing as a general crop for profit and both the 

 Smooth Cayenne and the Ripley pine-apple have been the rocks 

 upon which the industry has been wrecked. 



The Ripley pine-apple belongs to the Queen family of which 

 there are several varieties ; all of them can be readily distinguished 

 by their distinct appearance having small eyes which penetrate 

 deeply into the fruit causing much waste ; fruit small and narrow 

 in shape with a musky flavor which is an objection to the majority 

 of consumers abroad ; all varieties of the Queen family are of 

 delicate constitution subject to Black Heart and Wilt, two diseases 

 that have been found impossible to prevent or cure. In a field of 

 Ripley pine-apple plants after the Wilt makes a start, no matter 

 how small the affected area may be, it will in an incredibly short 

 space of time spread over acres and in a few months will com- 

 pletely kill every plant no matter whether the plants be old or 

 young, but this disease seldom allows the plants to become of any 

 age before it completes its work of ruin. 



Black Heart unlike the Wilt affects the fruit instead of the 

 plants causing black spots in the soundest looking fruit which 

 cannot be detected until the pine-apple is cut when it will be found 

 worthless. 



Leaving aside the diseases of the Ripley pine-apple, its shape, 

 size and general appearance mitigate against it in the markets of 

 the world ; Canada and the United States both positively refuse 

 to take it at any price, whilst England will take a few, the prices 

 realized however, seldom covering expenses and freight. 



The cause of repeated failure to make the pine-apple business a 

 success in Jamaica can be attributed to prejudice and a persistency 

 in ignoring the one profitable and marketable pine-apple. In spite 

 of every warning by those who have some knowledge and who 

 have made the growing of pine-apples a success added to the fact 

 that 90 per cent, of all the pine-apples grown in the countries above 

 mentioned consist of Red Spanish variety, no attempt has ever 

 been made to grow this profitable fruit in Jamaica upon a com- 

 mercial scale. 



The Red Spanish pine-apple, whilst not perfect, is the only fruit 

 that possesses such merit as to warrant other growers in placing 

 their dependence in it, and has proved profitable to those who have 

 cultivated it exclusively : it is a fruit of good appearance being 

 globular with large shallow eyes, flesh white and firm, flavour 

 sprightly and agreeable with the true pine-apple bouquet so sought 

 after by the foreign consumer ; this variety grows to a large size 

 and makes an excellent appearance with its large crown or top ; 



