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PINEAPPLE (Ananas sativa). 



A native of tropical America. This plant has been success- 

 fully grown in countries situate 28deg. North and South of the 

 line, wherever the conditions of moisture, shelter, and soil have 

 favoured its growth. 



With us it is susceptible of growing in the open air in 

 proximity of the seaboard as far South as Champion Bay, provided 

 the annual rainfall be supplemented by judicious irrigation. Beyond 

 this limit its cultivation may be extended even farther South under 

 the protection of sheds, as is done in Florida, but under such 

 artificial conditions pineapple culture ceases to offer commercial 

 possibilities, and can only be attempted by amateurs. 



Too rich soil does not suit the pineapple. It is intolerant of 

 wet and retentive soils with any considerable proportion of clay. A 

 deep free loam, permeable and fresh, with perfect drainage, and 

 which at no time becomes waterlogged, is the ideal soil for the pine- 

 apple. In Mauritius it is most successfully grown on friable 

 volcanic soil. In other countries it does well on sandy soils, 

 especially those of coraline formation, with a thin layer of vegetable 

 mould on the surface. 



The pineapple is a biennial plant, not unlike a miniature aloe, 

 but the leaves are much thinner. Is seldom propagated from seeds, 

 unless new varieties are desired. Most good pineapples, besides, are 

 seedless, but seedling plants are generally very slow growers, and do 

 not bear for 10 years or so. 



The crowns or the tufts of leaves at the top of the fruit are 

 sometimes grown, but they require two to five years to mature. For 

 that reason the extensive propagation of this fruit is effected by 

 means of slips and of suckers. The slips are produced from buds 

 on the fruit stalks under the fruit. They are smaller than the 

 suckers, but are more abundant. If it is intended to use them for 

 planting, all but two are rubbed off ; they are planted as quickly as 

 possible after they mature, which takes place when the stem under 

 the leaves turns brown. Slips fruit about 18 months after planting, 

 and produce fine fruit ; suckers, which spring from buds below the 

 soil, fruit about a year after planting. Two or three are generally 

 left on the plant, which they replace after fruiting. 



The plants are set in lines at distances of 5ft. x 2ft., if a horse- 

 hoe is used, and 3ft. x 3ft. if manual labour is employed. The sets 

 or suckers should have their basal leaves trimmed, and the con- 

 tracted hard buds by which they are attached to the parent plant 

 partly cut off. They are firmly set into the ground to a depth of 3in. 

 to 4in. Fertilisers are worked into the ground between the rows. 

 The practice of broadcasting chemical fertilisers is injurious to the 

 leaves, as the salts of ammonia and of potash so used exert a caustic 

 effect. Weeds should be kept down. After some years, and unless 

 the suckers or rattoons are largely removed, the beds become almost 

 impenetrable. The period of usefulness of a plantation lasts from 

 five to eight years. 



