165 



Smooth Cayenne or 16 to 20 Ripleys. Jjater experience however has 

 assured me that a single-layer crate is more desirable, as the fruit 

 seems to carry better. The buyer also prefers it, as it enables him to 

 inspect all the fruit at a glanoe. 



Pines should always be wrapped in something to protect them from 

 bruising. Some use common Manila paper, but this hardly gives the 

 desired protection. I use " Excelsior" made of fine wood shavings. 

 Clean dry hay or straw will answer. Banana trash well dried is also 

 used. In the Azores, corn husks stripped finewi r h a rasp like a large 

 curry comb is the common packing material. Pines should be packed 

 firmly that they may not fall about, but should not be jammed into 

 the box. In packing, the first pine is placed with the but towards 

 the packer in the lower left hand corner of the box, the second against 

 it the but at the upper side of the box, the crowns overlap- 

 ping and so on the buts and crowns alternating. If the box contains 

 two layers, the first pine of the second layer goes in the upper left 

 hand corner the but coming over the crown of the fruit below it. 

 The two layers will be just reversed, similar to the method of "break- 

 ing joints" as it is called in orange packing. Stencil the wood " Top" 

 on both top and bottom sides of the crate that when opened the fruit 

 may be seen in layers just as packed. As far as possible the crowns 

 should be protected from bruising as they add greatly to the appear- 

 ance and selling value. Exercise every care to make the package neat 

 and attractive, for with fruit as with people — " first impressions go a 

 long way." 



Insects and Diseases. 



While the pineapple requires, and repays constant attention and 

 care, yet when compared with many other plants it cannot be said 

 that it suffers severely from insects or diseases. 



The only insects which seem to affect it are : — mealy bugs, red 

 spider, and scale. The preedial thief of course comes under the head 

 of reptiles. The red spider and scale are rarely serious. The mealy 

 bug may become so if neglected and will cause serious stunting of the 

 plant and fruit. Infesting as it does the white portion of the leaves 

 about the body of the plant the use of sprays is practically unavailing- 

 Much good is done by dipping the base of the sucker in a decoction of 

 tobacco stems, 1 pound of tobacco to 2 gallons of water, before plant- 

 ing, but the only sur j treatment is by fumigating with hydro-cyanic 

 acid gas as recently described in a Bulletin issued by the Jamaica Bo- 

 tanical Department. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of 

 cure." 



The diseases or maladies of the pine are : — " blight," " sanding," 

 " spike," Mnd tangle-root." 



Blight" is a very serious trouble generally ascribed to a fungus. 

 An acquaintance who was visiting Jamaica last winter, and who is 

 interested in scientific research in an amateur way, kindly devoted 

 much time to a study of this disease, making careful microscopic 

 studies and cultural tests which demonstrated very clearly that healthy 

 .leaves can be inoculated through the spores of diseased plants. In 

 practice we have reason to believe that a diseased stock will prove a 



