MISCELLANEOUS TROPICAL FRUITS 161 



From one to two thousand pounds per acre of blood and bone or cotton- 

 seed meal will improve the size and quality of the fruit, and maintain the 

 fertility of the land. The following summary taken from Bulletin 104 of 

 the Florida Experiment Station, will serve as the best guide for the fertil- 

 izing of pineapples. 



(a) Fine-ground steamed bone and slag phosphate are best as sources 

 of phosphoric acid; cottonseed meal, dried blood and castor pomace are 

 best as sources of nitrogen; high-grade and low-grade sulphate of potash 

 are best as sources of potash. 



(b) Nitrate of soda, acid phosphate and kainit have not proven satis- 

 factory. (While sulphate of ammonia was not used in the experiment, 

 this material has in general practice been found unsuited to pineapple 

 culture.) 



(c) In case of shedded pineapples it has been found that it is profitable 

 to use from 2250 to 3750 pounds per acre annually of a complete fertilizer. 



(d) Analyses of a large number of fruits (Red Spanish) covering a 

 period of four years show that the eating quality of the fruit is not affected 

 by the kind of fertilizer used. 



(e) The sugar content of the fruit (Red Spanish) is slightly increased 

 by the heavier fertilizer applications. 



(/) The large fruits contain a slightly higher percentage of sugar than 

 the small ones. 



(g) The analyses of a large number of pineapple plants show that they 

 contain sufficient fertilizing materials, nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, 

 lime and magnesia to make them of considerable value as a fertilizer. 



(h) With an increase of nitrogenous fertilizers there was found an 

 increase of nitrates in the soil. 



(i) Nitrates are most abundant at the immediate surface. After a 

 depth of one foot is passed the amount is very small. 



(j) Where the surface of the ground is not protected, the nitrates are 

 much less abundant than where there is a covering of plants and decaying 

 leaves. 



Preparation of Soil. The essentials for the pineapple are a limited 

 water supply, abundance of air for the roots and plenty of available plant- 

 food. The selection and preparation of the soil should meet these require- 

 ments, as fully as possible. Sandy soils or sand, naturally most nearly 

 meet the physical requirements. Such soil should be thoroughly plowed 

 and freed from noxious weeds and grass before starting the plantation. If 

 the soil is level and inclined to be wet after excessive rains, it should be 

 made into rather wide beds on which the plants are set. The plants are 

 set in rows 15 to 18 inches apart and as many as 20 rows to the bed. The 

 advantages of this close setting lie in economy in the use of fertilizers, the 

 support which the plants give to each other, and the thoroughness with 

 which they shade the ground and prevent the growth of weeds and grass 

 after they are fully established. With this system of planting, there should 



