30 



ous as well as prolific. Tho tano;erine is also promising in that 

 respect. The lemon also seems promisino;, and the Sicily varieties 

 are being planted by some parties. Citron growing is very encour- 

 aging, the Corsica attaining a large size and good quality. It is not 

 so well known as the other citrus fruits, and this station has therefore 

 planted 200 trees in order to demonstrate the possibility of this 

 industry. 



PINEAPPLES. 



The station pinery now contains twenty-six varieties, most of 

 which will bear this year. All of the varieties are remarkably 

 healthy and so far very vigorous. An attempt was made to fertilize 

 some of the plats, but those experiments were discontinued because 

 the conditions were such that the results would have been of little or 

 no value. The experiments will be continued this year in a near-})y 

 field with a uniform soil which has not been cultivated for many 

 years. 



Two of the plats in the pinery have been planted with Pithecolo- 

 hium, saman, which are growing vigorously. Several new plats are 

 being planted with various shade plants which will be allowed to 

 grow until large enough to shade the ground before the pines are 

 planted. 



Large areas are now being planted to pines in various sections of 

 the island, and it has already been demonstrated that pines can be 

 grown successfully in several districts, although much land is undoubt- 

 edly being planted which will give but poor results. It is very diffi- 

 cult to determine whether a soil is fit for pineapple growing or not, the 

 only r^iable test being to cultivate a small area as a trial. It should 

 not be forgotten, however, that soils vary very much within a short 

 distance, and the success in one corner of a 50 to 100 acre plat is no 

 criterion for the whole field. In land about which there may be any 

 question it is always safest to work the soil up in beds 6 to 7 feet wide. 

 The Red Spanish can be planted four rows 18 by 18 inches in beds 6^ 

 feet wide and the Cabezonas three rows 24 by 24 inches in beds 6 feet 

 wide. This leaves 1 foot on each side of the outside rows, and if the 

 paths are left 6 feet wide and excavated 6 to 12 inches deep, the top of 

 the beds will be 1 to 2 feet higher than the bottom of the path, which 

 will give ample drainage. Under those conditions the pineapple plant 

 will thrive where otherwise it would fail. 



In the fall of 1903 about 2 acres were planted at Rincon with the 

 variety Cabezona. Those plants were reported to be diseased, and 

 the field was visited in April, 190.3, at the owTier's request. The plants 

 were found to be of normal size, but the color of the leaves was of a 

 light rcMl to \^\\vv wax white, about 50 per cent being entirely devoid 

 of chlorophyl and less than 15 per cent showing green, the rest red, 

 green, and white mixed. The field was located near the ocean, but in 



