DOES CUBA eds Vil EW: 25 
selves protected in the interior. The crates are then marked with the brand of the 
packer, the number of fruit contained therein, the degree of ripeness of the fruit, and the 
name and address of consignee in the North, and in this condition they are ready for 
shipment. 
The above refers to the Red Spanish pineapple. In the case of the larger varieties 
such as the Smooth Cayenne, special methods have been adopted for securing their 
arrival at market in first class condition. Because this pineapple is a fancy fruit and 
commands a fancy price, the greater expense involved can be taken. We thus find that 
in the Isle of Pines special cardboard cartons have been utilized, in each of which, 
wrapped in excelsior, a Smooth Cayenne pineapple is placed, and two or four of these 
cartons are placed in a special crate, shipment being effected in this manner. Of course, 
many of the smaller sizes are merely wrapped in paper and shipped as are the Red 
Spanish pineapples, but this fruit is so heavy, so luscious and full of juice, that arrival at 
market in good condition, if picked at a stage of maturity that will bring out its best 
qualities, is frequently doubtful. For this reason the cultivation of this variety of 
pineapple, we believe, can never become general, and its success must depend upon the 
creation and continuation of a special market for them. 
The transportation of our pineapple crop from the packing house to the consumer was 
formerly effected exclusively by freight train in Cuba and by steamer from Cuba to the 
North. It was thus not an unusual sight during April, May and early June to find train 
loads of crated pineapples on the docks in Havana and Hacendados, being unloaded by 
means of gang planks from the cars to lighters, and in them transported to the steamers 
waiting in the open harbor, in which they were stowed. That part of the crop going to 
New York and other eastern markets is still handled in this manner. At times these 
steamers carry as many as 15,000 to 25,000 crates in one voyage. A great number of 
handlings was thus required in order that a crate of pineapples arrive at its destination, 
and surprise will not be caused when the reader learns that the loss from decay and from 
broken packages due to this method of shipment and to the lack of care shown by all 
connected therewith was very heavy, small mountains of fruit being found on the decks 
of the steamers and on the docks after unloading each cargo. In the early days of the 
industry barrels were utilized as containers in which to ship pineapples, the first crates 
not having appeared in Cuba until utilized by Col. 8. S. Harvey, whose experience in 
Florida had taught him the advisability of their use. Now the shipment of pineapples 
in barrels is never practiced, except occasionally by direct steamer to Tampa or Key 
West for local use there. The advent of the car ferries between Key West and Havana 
gave our pineapple growers another outlet, which has been received with favor and has 
resulted in profit to this industry. Previous to the coming of the car ferries, almost all 
the pineapples shipped had gone to New York and eastern markets, resulting in their 
prompt glutting each season, and the consequent lowering of prices and loss to our growers. 
Shipments, however, had begun to be diverted by steamer to New Orleans, thence by 
rail to Chicago. But with the coming of the car ferry all this has been changed. The 
ventilated cars used are run alongside the packing houses, filled with their cargoes, and 
these go north via Key West without change or movement, their routing and final desti- 
nation being determined by the distributor in the North, the fruit thus arriving in sound 
condition in undamaged and sightly packages, attractive to the consumer. It has been 
proved that the fruit can be picked when more mature for shipment in this way, this 
being a further and great advantage of this route. Direct shipments all rail to Chicago 
have become greater and greater in volume, until now a very large percentage of the 
crop is marketed from that point as a distributing center. Those in position to know 
state that the western markets are much more favorable than are those of the east, and 
are capable of taking a very much larger volume of fruit without the lowering of price 
that formed such a serious drawback to the industry during the days of marketing almost 
exclusively through New York. 
The methods employed by those connected with the pineapple industry in Cuba in 
regard to the production, packing and sale of the crop differ widely. We have, for in- 
