CULTIVATION FOR FRUIT 



./,,,- i't. in . :' i. Note* on 



189-2 : \..I,,,HH, Textbook Trop. .-1 .-///. l.v.'ii. 174-7; U.S. Dept. 



/m,.s/ Rep/., 1893, No. 5; Pine-apple Growing, Farmer 1 Bull., 1901, 



v, 140; I'm,!,,,-, \\~nrld (sen. of art.), 1896-7; ;4prt. Lfy., 1898, No. 11; 



s.it/. n,-i>t., Baaaein (Burma), 1899, 19-20; Kew Bull. (add. ser. ii.). IH'.tS, 109; 



. J'I,H-<II>I>I. Cult, in Antigua, Wat Ind. JlulL. ii.. 11. 'I -Jl ; X. <;. Mukerji, 



Hnn.llim.k- ln<l. An-:., 33U-'2 ; Pine-apple Cult., in Agri. Bull. Straits and Malay 



I , '-'. j 



Cultivation for Fruit. The English hot-house pine-apples are often 

 spoken of as much superior in flavour to those grown in tropical countries. 

 'Tin- fruit appears to have been first cultivated in Europe at Leyden in 

 1650. and the first pine-apple grown in England was raised in the 

 Duchess of Cleveland's hot-house at Downey Court and presented by her 

 nardener (Mr. John Rose) to King Charles the Second some time before 

 ItlTJ the date at which Rose became the Royal gardener. [Cf. Murray, 

 Hut. Roy. Hart. Soc., 1863, 4 and pi.] With the modern facilities of rapid 

 transport to Europe and America, large supplies of the fruit have 

 recently reached these continents from the West Indies, from Madeira 

 and from the Canary Islands. This has led to a decline in hot-house 

 cultivation, to an immensely increased supply and consequent great 

 reduction in price, and has given birth to a highly lucrative new 

 planting industry in all tropical countries situate within practical access 

 of the European and American markets. 



Much attention has recently been given to the study of the varieties 

 and races of pine-apple, as also to the methods of cultivation and markets 

 of supply and demand. In India, while the plant is extremely abundant 

 as a fruit grown in gardens and in some localities has even become com- 

 pletely acclimatised, little or no effort has been put forth either to improve 

 the quality or to develop, on a commercial basis, the industry of pine- 

 apple growing, which it would appear might be originated with advantage 

 to India and profit to those concerned. 



Climates and Localities. The pine-apple was first introduced on the West 

 coast of India, but rapidly crossed the country and attained its greatest 

 perfection in the Eastern Peninsula. From Calcutta through Eastern and 

 Northern Bengal to Assam and Burma may be said to be its best Indian 

 habitat, though it also occurs here and there throughout India, and is very 

 abundant on the Western Ghats, especially on their southern extremity. 

 Speaking of Bengal, Thevenot (Travels, Levant, Indostan, etc., 1687, pt. 

 iii., 68) mentions the pine-apple growing as large as a melon. In Assam 

 (more particularly the Khasia hills) it might also be said to exist as a 

 wild plant and yields a profusion of most delicious fruit. In Tenasserim 

 it has become so completely acclimatised and is so abundant that, as 

 observed by Dr. Heifer many years ago, a boat-load of fruit might be 

 purchased in June or July for one rupee. It is thus not by any means 

 exclusively on the littoral tracts, nor within the inundated areas of 

 India, that the pine-apple has attained its greatest perfection, but rather 

 considerably inland and on the dry, sandy loams of the lower hills and 

 terai, though in tracts of country subject to a high annual rainfall. A 

 warm, moist atmosphere and a well-drained sandy loam would appear, 

 therefore, to be the essentials for success with pine-apple. 



Varieties Indian writers allude to only one or two recognisable 

 varieties. Firminger, for example, speaks of the Sylhet or koomlah pine 

 a small fruit with very few but exceptionally large eyes ; and the Dacca 

 A remarkably smooth pine with white eyes. He then discusses imported 



67 



ANANAS 

 8ATIVA 



Cultivation 



Fruit. 



Cultivation 

 in Europe. 



Tri !. 



Cultivated 

 Forms. 



Indian Supply. 



Western 

 India. 



Eastern 

 Distribution. 



Essential 

 Conditions. 



Indian 

 Varieties. 



