PINE-APPLE CULTURE. 167 



CHAPTER XVHI. 



PINE-APPLES. 



Next in importance to the culture of oranges and lem- 

 ons in Florida, and destined to rival even these fruits in 

 the future, comes the pine-apple, most fragrant of all 

 fruits, and second to none in delicious flavor. 



This industry, like those just mentioned, is still in its 

 infancy here, and consequently there are many conflict- 

 ing opinions as to the best soils and modes of culture. 



From a mass of opinions on this subject we have endeav- 

 ored to sift out facts, and to recommend a mode of culture 

 which may be relied on as safe to follow, and reasonably 

 certain to lead to success. 



One writer on pine-apple culture tells us that "the best 

 soil for them is new, rich land, closely underlaid with 

 clay;" another says, "the soil should be very rich, and is 

 better to be all clay," while others recommend rich ham- 

 mock land. 



Now, all this may be true in certain places and latitudes, 

 but it is not true in Florida, as a rule. Pine land gives 

 the best result in every instance upon record, and it needs 

 but little fertilizing either. 



It is a mistake to suppose the pine-apple needs a very 

 rich soil to do its best ; it is a plant that wants only mod- 

 erate food, and is easily surfeited, and its growth actually 

 retarded by too much fertilizing : and in this fact lies the 

 secret of the failure of nearly all who have not succeeded 

 in raising this delicious fruit successfully. 



Rarely, indeed, is the man who set out his pine-apple 

 plantation on rich hammock land found extending it at 

 least not on the same soil while, whenever a patch has 



