t 332 ] 



492. If the fruits can be preserved or even the juice 

 of the fruit, by our cultivators, pineapple-growing would 

 prove highly remunerative. The following recipe is recom- 

 mended for preserving the juice of all soft fruits : Press out 

 the juice of the fresh fruit, separating it completely from 

 seeds and skin. Then submit the juice to heat of 180 F. 

 (never higher than 190 F. nor lower than 175 F.) for half 

 an hour. Next filter it through a conical flannel bag, to 

 extract the coagulated albumen and other flocculent matter. 

 Then put in bottles. Place these in a trough of water up 

 to their necks and bring the water to a temperature of 

 200 F. (keeping it always below the boiling temperature 

 i.e. 212 F.) The bottles are to be kept at this temperature 

 only for a quarter of an hour, and then corked and 

 sealed at once before cooling. The corks used should 

 remain in the hot water in which the bottles are placed. 



493. The fresh juice of the ripe pineapple fruit in tea- 

 spoonful doses, has been found a remedy for diphtheria and 

 bronchitis. 



494. A word of caution is necessary to persons desirous 

 of introducing such new fibres as rhea, pineapple and agave. 

 The fibres of these like the fibres of jute are not of uniform 

 fineness. Only 10 or 15% of the pine fibre is of silky and 

 delicate fineness which would fetch ,30 or 35 per ton in 

 the London market. It should be also remembered with 

 regard to pineapple fibre, that about 150 years ago it formed 

 an important article of export from Chittagong and the Straits 

 Settlements and it was woven in dhoties and sheetings 

 in the Dutch possessions. Cotton has gradually ousted it 

 from the field. With improved machinery capable of spinning 

 even yarns out of short staples, pineapple fibre may become 

 a favourite textile material again but its re-introduction must 

 be looked upon only in the light of a hopeful experiment. 



