PINEAPPLE— PINEAPPLE DISEASES 



1685 



and there plants are trimmed in order to 

 insure the desired root development. If 

 the plants are set in a loamy soil or clay 

 soil that contains considerable moisture, 

 the leaves covered up with soil will de- 

 cay in a short time, and as the soil is as 

 moist a distance away from the plant as 

 close by, the roots will spread out just as 

 well as if the plants had been trimmed. 

 Therefore for planting in a dry soil or in 

 a dry season, trim, but for planting in a 

 moist soil or in the rainy season the work 

 is not worth the cost. 



The trimming consists in cutting off the 

 base and stripping of£ the lower leaves, 

 leaving an inch or more of the stem ex- 

 posed. If large suckers are planted it is 

 quite common to cut the ends of the 

 leaves off, but this is not desirable, be- 

 cause cutting or breaking the leaves low- 

 ers the vitality of the plant. 



Cultivation 



On account of the shallow root growth 

 and the close planting, cultivation is 

 confined almost entirely to hand work. 

 With the single-row or narrow-bed sys- 

 tem some horse work can be done the first 

 season, but after that the leaves interlace 

 and with horse cultivation more or less 

 damage is caused by breaking and tearing 

 the leaves The extent of the damage 

 compared with the difference in the cost 

 of cultivating will naturally determine 

 the best method to be employed, but some 

 hand work will always be necessary. On 

 the sandy soils in Florida the scuffle hoe 

 is generally used, but on the heavier soils 

 m the West Indies it is necessary to use 

 the oi*dinary hand hoe, not alone on ac- 

 count of the heavier soil, but also be- 

 cause of the much more abundant growth 

 of weeds. Wherever the land is weedy, 

 cultivation should be strictly attended to, 

 because a crop of weeds is detrimental to 

 the growth of the pineapple plant; and if 

 left to grow, large weeds are much more 

 difiicult to eradicate than if attended to 

 in time. 



Varieties most grown in Florida and 

 the West Indies are Cabezona, one of the 

 largest varieties grown; Red Spanish, a 

 small to medium variety, very susceptible 

 to soil conditions. 



Grathering 



In the picking of the fruit, the method 

 of bedding, the variety, and the size of 

 the plant influence the method used. Pine- 

 apples are very susceptible to injuries, 

 especially in the field before curing, and 

 should be handled almost as carefully as 

 are strawberries or ripe avocados. 



Because of the spines, the pickers 

 should wear long-sleeved, heavy canvas 

 gloves, and where they must walk through 

 the pines it is also well to have protection 

 for their bodies. 



Stiff bushel baskets are best for collect- 

 ing the fruit. Each fruit should be placed 

 in the basket, not thrown or dropped. The 

 Red Spanish can be broken off its stem by 

 a quick sidewise and downward jerk or 

 by placing the knee against the fruit 

 stalk and giving the fruit a quick jerk 

 across the knee. The Cabezonas must be 

 cut off, since, if broken like the Red 

 Spanish, the stem will break deep into 

 the fruit and decay will soon follow. It 

 is questionable if it is advisable to make 

 more than one grade for shipping. 



X UVjEAPJcIiE I/IiSEASES 

 With a soil properly drained and with 

 good culture, few plants are as free from 

 pests and diseases as the pineapple. It 

 is almost axiomatic that trouble with pine- 

 apples means bad management The 

 troubles thus far known are chiefly due 

 to one of three things: First, an ant and 

 its associate, a mealy-bug; second, wilt; 

 and third, spike. 



Blackheart 



The disease called "blackheart" is due, 

 apparently, to poor soil conditions and 

 lack of proper food. It is characterized 

 by the rotting of the heart of the pine be- 

 fore any sign of affection is shown on the 

 outside. Any puncture or injury of the 

 fruit will admit some of the many fungus 

 spoi'es that will produce rot. This will 

 spread to the center, but it must not be 

 confused with blackheart. 



Eemedy 



The cure, as far as known, is better 

 culture and fertilizers. Phosphates and 

 potash are usually the elements needed, 

 especially the latter. Excess of nitrogen 



