316 



When the fruit is marketed to long distances, it is cut before it 

 is quite ripe, a portion of the stalk being left attached, or else the 

 fruit will bleed. The crown is also left intact, and should not be 

 trimmed, so as not to rob the fruit of its- decorative appearance. 

 The pines are packed in large crates, but it is advisable to provide 

 partitions in these crates, so as to separate fruit in lots of four to half 

 a dozen each. 



The varieties grown are either spineless leaves or spiny leaves. 

 Of the spineless-leaved pineapple, the most commonly grown is 



THE SMOOTH-LEAVED CAYENNE (syn. Griant Kew). Leaves long 

 and smooth, or with very few spines, broad, dark green ; flowers 

 purple; fruit very large, pyramidal, dark orange yellow; flesh pale 

 yellow, rich, highly-flavoured ; pips large, flat. Does not sucker so 

 freely as other varieties. A very handsome fruit, weighing 61bs. to 

 lOlbs. An autumn and winter growing variety. Largely grown in 

 the Azores for the purpose of supplying the English market during* 

 the winter and early spring months. 



Of the spine-leaved kinds, some of the best are 



BLACK JAMAICA (syn. Black Spanish). Leaves long and 

 narrow, dark green, almost a blue purple in the centre. The leaves 

 are hollow, not open and flattish. The leaves have little hooked 

 prickles ; not spines like the teeth of a saw, but set distinctly from 

 each other. Flowers purple ; fruit oval, somewhat pyramidal, dark 

 green at first, and fit to eat before it shows any yellow or red ; pips 

 middle-sized, prominent; flesh firm, yellow, rich, juicy, and highly 

 flavoured. \Yeight of fruit, from 41bs. to 51bs. Ripens in the 

 winter. 



QUEEN. Leaves very short, broad, of a bluish green, very 

 mealy ; spines strong, set widely apart ; flowers lilac ; fruit 

 cylindrical, of a rich deep yellow ; pips middle sized, prominent ; 

 flesh pale yellow, juicy, sweet, rich. Best in summer and autumn. 



RIPLEY QUEEN. Of these there are two varieties green and 

 red. The Ripleys belong to the Queen varieties. Leaves green 

 with purplish longitudinal streaks running up the centre. As the 

 plant gets old and weak, the purple streaks become irregular, and 

 the green of the leaf yellow. The spines are numerous. 



Other varieties cultivated are Abbaka, Black Antigua, Long, 

 Green, and Red Ceylon. 



FRUIT-DRYING. 



In the height of the fruit season, much which should never be 

 put on the market to compete with the higher-grade produce could 

 with profit be disposed of as dried fruit. 



It is not meant to infer that a high-class dried fruit can be 

 manufactured out of an inferior sample, but rather that it may be 

 more profitable to convert such produce- into a- more readily saleable 

 article. 



