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TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Pine Cultivationm 



THE following is a Report made by H. 

 H. Cousins, M.A., F.C.S., to the 



Board (Jamaica) of Agriculture : — 



The broad scale cultivation of Pines 

 appears to present so many pitfalls 

 and difficulties, and the interests are of 

 such importance to Jamaica at the pre- 

 sent moment, that I have thought it de- 

 sirable to make a special study of this 

 cultivation, and have visited every im- 

 portant pinery to which I could obtain 

 access. 



The outcome of these observations has 

 been a conviction that a prospective 

 grower would do well to make a thorough 

 tour of inspection before embarking on 

 so hazardous an enterprise as a pine culti- 

 vation, unsupported by wide knowledge 

 and experience of local conditions. 



There are to be seenijiues, representing 

 thousands of pounds in money, which 

 plainly demonstrate almost every funda- 

 mental error in pine cultivation. I have 

 myself seen demonstrated, literally by 

 the acre, the following pitfalls in the grow- 

 ing of pines under our local conditions. 



(1) Defective Drainage. — While it is a 

 truism to assert that drainage is the most 

 neglected feature of Jamaica agriculture, 

 it is an axiom of pine cultivation that 

 perfectly drained soil is absolutely assen- 

 tial to the health and vigour of the plant. 

 I have yet to see pines overdrained in 



-Jamaica. A striking demonstration of 

 this fact is to be seen in St. Catherine. 

 A piece of 8 acres was planted in pines. 

 Four acres on the flat. Two acres with 

 one foot trenches and raised beds. The 

 flat-planted pines have actually died out 

 except on a few isolated hillocks. The 

 one foot trenches sufficed to save the 

 plants, but the fruit was only moderate. 

 The two feet drainage resulted in success. 

 Nothing could impress this lesson so well 

 as a personal visit of inspection. 



(2) Too Rich Soil. — Pines imported 

 from Florida have been planted in soil 

 containing 30 times the amount of plant 

 food present in the Florida sands. In 

 some cases rich pasture lands have been 

 broken up, liberally manured with stable 

 manure and finally top-dressed with the 

 ootton seed meal, so much used by the 



Florida growers. Where the drainage 

 had been attended to, the plants made 

 phenomenal growth, and to an inex- 

 perienced eye promised the most gratify- 

 ing results. Now that the fruiting stage 

 has been reached and the enormous excess 

 of nitrogen has exerted its effect, nine- 

 tenths of the plants are monstrosities, 

 " cockscombs," fruit with reduplicated 

 crowns, or in some cases have produced 

 a mass of axillary leaf shoots instead of 

 fruiting. Acres of such pines are to be 

 seen in St. Catherine. 



Deeper trenches and a corrective in the 

 shape of phosphatic fertilisers are being 

 tried on plants about half grown which 

 would otherwise give the same disap- 

 pointing results. If some check can be 

 given to this excessive vegetative stimulus, 

 a fine crop of magnificent fruit should re- 

 sult. 



(3) Danger of raw Organic Manure. — 

 The pine is a " clean feeder," and readily 

 injured by th-e injudicious use of manure. 

 Partially decayed manure appears to 

 poison the roots. Decaying tree- stumps 

 have a similar effect. Pineries in which 

 tree-stumps have been left in the soil 

 from considerations of misjudged economy 

 show stretches and patches of yellow, 

 poisoned plants wherever the pines come 

 in contact with the decaying roots in the 

 soil. Clean cultivation and careful 

 manuring are essential. 



Improper Preparation and Planting of 

 Suckers. — In the rush to get stock of the 

 Cayenne and other popular sorts, many 

 growers have planted many inferior 

 suckers. Large cultivations are to be 

 seen in a very unhealthy state owing to 

 propagation of suckers infested with the 

 pin eapple scale at the roots. Such suckers 

 should always be fumigated with Hydro- 

 cyanic acid (1 oz. 98 per cent. Cyanide, 

 2 ozs. water, l^ozs. Acid per 150 c. feet 

 of space. Exposure one hour after sun- 

 set). 



The growers from Florida, while re- 

 sponsible for the neglect of drainage and 

 the evils of over-manuring, have at any 

 rate taught us how to prepare and plant 

 suckers. Most cultivations appear to have 

 been well managed in this respect. A 



