PINEAPPLE CULTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA 



on the upper side. If the closer method is adopted, this trouble 

 is largely avoided, as the leaves interlock and plants hold each 

 other up. // the plants fall on one side, even if the fruit is 

 protected from sunscald, the top or crown becomes unsightly or 

 twisted in its endeavour to turn upwards. These closer methods 

 of planting are not advocated for large areas, unless it is in- 

 tended to make a short period crop of it. If it is adopted even 

 on rich land, such close planting naturally soon exhausts the 

 soil, and the difficulty of applying fertiliser in such cases is 

 considerable. Where a grower has only an acre or so to handle, 

 these closer methods are quite permissible, but for large areas, 

 the wider plantings are the best and most economical. 



VITALITY RETAINED OVER A LONG PERIOD. 



The Pineapple plants retains vitality over a long period, even 

 when removed from the soil. Slips, suckers or old plants, if 

 properly handled and sacked, will travel half round the world 

 and still retain sufficient vigour to start into fresh growth. I 

 have known cases in which the old plants have been rooted 

 up and thrown aside, and more than IS months later they were 

 still alive. 



CULTIVATION. 



Cultivation of the plants commences as soon as necessary 

 after planting. In the case of virgin soil the crop of weeds is 

 not, as a rule, a serious thing to contend with. In the closer 

 planting, the usual implement employed is a single wheel hand 

 cultivator, and for the first six or nine months this may be 

 used up and down and across the rows. This makes further 

 work unnecessary, it is also used to work in the fertiliser. It 

 must not be forgotten that the Pineapple plant feeds very close 

 to the surface of the soil, so that deep cultivation is not desir- 

 able. Cultivation during the first year must be frequent to con- 

 serve all the moisture possible; when the plants have grown too 

 large for the cultivator to be used with advantage, it is usual 

 to take a small scuffle hoe, on a good long handle; by the use of 

 this tool, all weeds can be eradicated and the ground left in 

 a nice level condition. 



In the cultivation 01 the wider planting, where the plantings 

 are 2 ft. by 4 ft. or 5 ft. it is customary to use a single animal 

 cultivator ; this reduces the amount of hand labour, ' but hand 

 lioeing has to be carried out between the plants and, as they 

 grow older, alongside each row. Cultivation should be frequent 

 and thorough and should follow each rain, or take place more 

 frequently, if necessary, to prevent the soil from baking or 

 cracking. The Pineapple does not love a close, hard-packed 

 soil, but thrives much better if the ground is loose and friable. 

 Cultivation of the closer plantings ceases, except for the use 



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