A qricuUural Cuba 38 



THE PINEAPPLE INDUSTRY 



Pineapples have been grown in Cuba for export 

 since the beginning of the first intervention and 

 to some extent prior to that time. In point of 

 money value, the pineapple industry ranks high. 

 At the present time most of the pineapples 

 intended for export are grown within fifty miles 

 of the City of Havana. Over a million crates 

 are shipped annually to the United States. 



Pineapples may be grown on any rich soil and 

 are considered one of the staple crops of Cuba. 

 The slips, or off-shoots from the parent plant, 

 are set out in long ridges, some four feet apart 

 with intervening spaces averaging a foot. The 

 plants produce fruit within one year of planting 

 and from each original stalk an average of six 

 or eight suckers may be taken for planting in 

 new beds, so that with a very small start the 

 acreage may be easily increased six or eight fold 

 each year. 



About eight thousand plants are considered 

 sufficient for an acre of ground, and the cost of 

 these plants is about $30.00 per acre. The 

 preparation of the land for pineapples will run 

 considerably more. The returns under favorable 

 conditions will vary from $100.00 to Si 50.00 per 

 acre. The average net profits from pineapples 

 grown near Artemisa and Campo Florida, is said 

 to be about $50.00 per acre. The high price of 

 sugar since the beginning of the European war 

 has caused much of the former pineapple acreage 

 to be converted into sugar lands. 



The profit derived from pineapple culture, as 

 is the case with all fruits and vegetables of a 



