PINEAPPLE CULTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA 

 PREPARATION OF SOIL. 



The success of the plantation will largely depend .on the 

 thorough preparation of the land. There is an old saying in 

 England that two ploughings are equal to a dose of manure. By 

 this is meant that badly prepared land with a fair dose of 

 manure will only produce a crop equal lo the crop produced on the 

 same land without manure, if that land is ploughed and cross- 

 ploughed. If the land has trees or bushes on it, these should all 

 be stubbed up and the large roots removed. 



DISC PLOW PREFERABLE. 



It is best, if possible, to use a Disc Plow, after the ground 

 has been cleared of all stumps, etc. In this way the remaining 

 roots on bush land will be cut up into short lengths, and the 

 second or cross ploughing will again sever them. 



PLOUGHING FOLLOWED BY DISC HARROW. 



It is usual to follow each ploughing with a heavy disc harrow, 

 and any roots which may be exposed and are too big for the 

 plough or harrow to sever should be removed or piled in heaps 

 and burnt on the land. Where the closer method of planting, 

 which I shall mention later is adopted, it is best to remove all 

 roots which would be likely to interfere in any way with the 

 subsequent cultivation of the plants. Most of these will be 

 dragged up by the use of a drag or zigzag harrow, and being 

 piled in small heaps on the field, can be burnt and the ashes 

 spread over the land. If planting on the wider system (that 

 is 2 ft. x 4 or 5 ft.) the removal of the long pieces should be 

 sufficient. The main object in removing them from the land is 

 to facilitate cultivation. -If lengths of roots of 2 or 3 feet are 

 left just below the surface of the soil, the cultivator is likely 

 to drag them up and, with them, one or more plants. 



HUMUS IN SOIL. 



The small roots which. remain add humus to the soil and, as 

 previously shown, the pineapple is very partial to humus. Humus 

 can also be added before planting by the application of fairly 

 large quantities of Kraal manure. This should be ploughed in 

 or dug in along the rows it is proposed to plant, as the applica- 

 tion of Kraal manure after the plants are once set out is a 

 somewhat difficult matter. The preparation of the soil should 

 take place, if possible, six months or more before planting. A 

 further disc harrowing with heavy disc, followed by the drag 

 harrow, will then put the ground into fine condition. If on a 

 slope it is advisable, in preparing the land as above, to omit the 



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