CHAPTER 39 



Miscellaneous Tropical Fruits* 



The Pineapple. — As a tropical fruit the pineapple ranks second to the 

 orange and banana. Originally a wild fruit, very small in size, it has by 

 constant cultivation and improvement been developed into one of the 

 choicest fruits in existence. Some varieties now produce very large fruit, 

 weighing as much as twenty pounds. 



Pineapples thrive best in Porto Rico, Cuba, Hawaii and the tropical 

 islands, but can be grown easily in southern Florida and even further north, 

 if not exposed to frost. 



The pineapple resembles the cabbage in that it grows on a short, leafy 

 stalk from one to three feet high. The plant is very leafy, the leaves of 

 most varieties being edged with spines. 



Propagation. — Pineapples are propagated by means of ratoons, suckers, 

 slips and very seldom, when only for experimental purposes, by the seed. 

 A ratoon is an individual plant formed among the roots of the mother plant 

 and appearing beside it from under the soil. A sucker is an individual 

 plant coming from the side of the stem above the soil. A slip is the small 

 plant that appears below the fruit on the fruit stalk. The small plants 

 that grow on the apex of the fruit are known as the crown slips. There is 

 no difference in the kind of plant produced by either the ratoon, the sucker 

 or the slip. However, the sucker and the slip are to be preferred, because 

 plants from ratoons will die easily if not handled properly. The main thing 

 is to select a well-matured slip or sucker. Suckers have an advantage over 

 the slips, inasmuch as they are several months older and, of course, they 

 bear sooner. Whether suckers or slips are selected to be planted, they 

 should be trimmed by cutting the base and stripping off the lower leaves. 

 One inch and a half to two inches of stem should be left exposed. It is 

 better to let them dry a little before planting. This is called curing. 



Soil. — The pineapple will grow in a great variety of soils, but thrives 

 best in light, deep, well-drained, sandy soils. Damp and heavy soils are 

 unfavorable. The plant is a gross feeder and calls for a liberal supply of 

 nitrogenous fertilizers. Experiments carried on in Porto Rico have demon- 

 strated that the plant responds to commercial fertilizers. A small plant, 

 although in poor soil, has attained astonishing proportions after the fertil- 

 izer has been applied. So, when enough plant-food is available and the 

 roots may obtain all the air they need, the pineapple can be successfully 

 grown on a wide range of soils. 



*In preparing this chapter the author was assisted by Mr. F. G. de Quevedo, formerly of Porto Rico, 

 now teacher of Spanish in Pennsylvania State College. 



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