ITE “CUBA “hE V TEW 23 
the pineapple before it is thoroughly ripe detracts from its good qualities. It is the 
writer’s belief that the thorough fertilization of the Cuban pine would place it upon an 
equality with that of Porto Rico, in size, depth of color, and luscious flavor and aroma. 
Some of our growers seem to be awakening to the possibilities along this line, and are 
seeking information and making trials to a greater extent each year. 
As we have already indicated, some of the suckers springing from the parent plants 
at the time these bear fruit, come from the stem of the plant below the soil. These, of 
course, are in position to put out new and independent roots of their own, and, therefore, 
they are left in the field. to continue it for a further year’s production. Two or three 
suckers are usually left to each plant. These are cultivated and cared for as was the 
original field, and under favorable circumstances each of these suckers bears a fruit, 
though this fruit almost always averages smaller in size than the fruit from the original 
plant. This process of suckering continues, under extremely favorable conditions, .for 
as many as five or six years, though we believe the average to be three or four. The 
original strength of the soil and the care and intelligence with which cultivation has been 
practiced, influence the number of years that the field can be continued in profitable 
bearing, and we have no doubt that this period can be increased by the proper use of 
fertilizers. 
The heavy period of fruiting of the pineapple in Cuba begins with December and 
January of each year, at which time deep down in the heart of the plant the small young 
leaves turn a somewhat lighter color, followed by the appearance of a button-like bud 
surrounded by leaves tinged with the brightest crimson, which upon developing becomes 
a mass of small somewhat purplish blossoms surrounding the top of a heavy sturdy stem. 
As growth progresses, the fruit takes on its true form, the color changing gradually from 
a rather light green to a deep dark green, the “eyes” from which the small blossoms had 
protruded gradually become large and more open, and finally the deep green color begins 
to change near the junction of the fruit with the stem to alight yellow, which, as ripeness 
becomes more complete, changes to a deep orange yellow, gradually covering the fruit 
from its base to the crown. For home consumption the fruit is always allowed to become 
at least one-half colored before it is cut from the plant. But in this condition it is quite 
delicate and must be handled with extreme care, and because complete ripeness is reached 
very promptly thereafter, and allowance must be made for the time required for picking, 
packing, shipping and distribution to the consumer in good condition, harvesting for 
export begins before any change of color is noticeable upon the majority of the fruits 
themselves. This operation is performed by men of experience who can judge at a 
glance when the fruit has reached the stage of maturity desired, and who, armed with a 
long knife and accompanied by laborers carrying large flat baskets on their heads, go 
up and down the rows of pineapples severing the stems of those fruits which are in proper 
condition to be taken, leaving only a very short portion of the stem attached to the fruits. 
These are then placed in the baskets, which, when filled, are taken to the carts that 
await them in the roads bordering the field or left at certain intervals throughout the 
plantation, in which, piled carefully in regular rows, as can be seen in one of the illus- 
trations, they are carried to the packing houses. Here they are received and placed 
in large bins or piles, fiom which they are removed and classified by eye by skilled workers 
into the different sizes required to fill the crates. In the packing houses of the most 
progressive growers and packers, it is customary also to classify the fruits according to 
their condition of ripeness, thus securing uniformity in the fruit occupying each crate. 
The various sizes of fruit packed in Cuba are such that twelve, eighteen, twenty-four, 
thirty, thirty-six, forty-two and forty-eight fruits will fill the standard crate. The 
sizes most in demand in the market are, we are told, twenty-four’s, thirty’s and thirty- 
Six’s, sizes larger than these being demanded only by the fancy trade, while sizes smaller 
than thirty-six’s should in reality be utilized for canning and preserving. After sizing - 
and classification according to ripeness, each pineapple is then wrapped in a sheet of 
paper or else placed in a paper bag. They are then placed in the crates in regular order, 
the crowns of the fruit toward the top and bottom of the crates, leaving the fruits them- 
