PINEAPPLE CrLTrKE IN SOl'TH AFRICA 



If the journey to the packing shed is a long one, and over rough 

 roads, a layer of grass should be placed in the bottom of the 

 box. The first layer of pines on this must all head one way 

 and the second layer head the other way, and so on. By this 

 means the fruit will not be pressing on each other, but on the 

 top or crown. Pines, even for Local markets, are better packed 

 in single layer boxes. This I am aware, at the present price 

 of box-material, may not be feasible, but under no circumstances 

 should they be packed with more than three layers, and the 

 method of packing should be such that no two Pines touch 

 each other, either hay or mealie husks should be used to keep 

 them apart. They should be fully coloured before gathering. 

 Investigations carried out in recent years have demonstrated 

 that practically all the sugar contents of the Pineapple are de- 

 veloped in the short period of ripening on the plant. Pineapples 

 picked or cut when fully developed, before the ripening process 

 has commenced, do not develop any further sugar, in fact, they 

 lose a certain amount ; in other words although the fruit ap 

 parently passes through the same ripening and colouring process, 

 as when left on the plant, the tissues soften, but no Higar is 

 developed in the process as in other fruits. 



GRADING. 



\Yiiolhor for Local or for Export markets growers must 

 realise that it pays to grade their fruit; it is useless to pack 

 a box or crate of three dozen Pines of two or three grades or 

 sixes; the fruit must be packed, as far as possible, of one size. 

 This entails more trouble in "the packing house, but fruit packed 

 in first and second sizes -and all well coloured will realise better 

 prices than those mixed indiscriminately. This applies to all 

 fruit. Half the cause of low prices realised on our local markets 

 is the bad packing and indiscriminate mixing of all sizes and 

 qualities of fruit in the same package. As mentioned before, 

 not only do those particular packages realise low prices, but 

 they spoil the market of the better grades. 



STANDARD SIZES FOR EXPORT ARE AS FOLLOWS. 



Queens Extra Seleclrd. Selected. Graded. 



Weight not less than Weight not less than Weight less than 



3 A- Ibs. 14 Ibs. 14 Ibs. 

 Cayenne. Selected. Graded. 



Weight not less than Weight not less than Weight less than 



4 Ibs. 2* Ibs. 2* Ib.s. 



FRUIT FOR EXPORT. 



The fruit of the Queen variety desired for export is one weigh- 

 ing 1$ Ibs. to '2 Ibs. or thereabouts. If the process of selection 

 advocated in a previous portion of this book is carried out, i 



is 



