13 



Place the two cuts together at once and tie tightly with raffia or 

 grafting tape. Allow them to remain for two months, watering care- 

 fully meantime ; at the end of which time a small notch is made with a 

 very sharp knife on the scion just below and on the opposite side to the 

 union. Eight or ten days later the notch is made deeper by cutting 

 out a little more wood ; this time nearly severing the scion from the tree. 



A week after take a sharp pair of shears and complete the cut. 



Take the grafted plants at once to a cool moist corner out of the reach 

 of hot dry wind. 



Two weeks later the top of the stock may be cut off close down to 

 the union. 



After six weeks' 6tay in the cool, moist corner, they may be gradually 

 hardened off to the conditions of the plantation, and when ready can 

 be planted out. 



Remove the raffia or grafting tape when the first young leaves begin 

 to develop on the scion. 



Pine Apples. 



A series of experiments were carried out with Ripley Pines, chiefly 

 in regard to the correlation of the colouring matter in the leaf, and the 

 quality of the fruit and the results are given in my Report for 1898-99 . 



The question of the proper distance to plant is an important one. We 

 first started to plant at 3 feet apart in the rows, with rows 5 feet apart, 

 thinking that at this distance it would be possible to keep the land clean 

 by cultivators drawn by mule or horse, and so reduce the cost. This 

 was quite feasible while they were in the " plant" stage, but as the 

 plant ratooned the fruits on the side shoots weighed them down break- 

 ing off many, and exposing the side of the fruits of all to the sun 

 causing " sun burn." Other distances were tried, until it was finally 

 decided that 2x3 feet was the proper distance, the reason being that 

 although the hand cultivation necessary for the first year's growth is 

 expensive, by the second year the pines so shade the land that there is 

 little or no growth of weeds beyond a few climbers. The plants are close 

 enough together to prevent leaning and consequent sun burn. 



An experiment with artificial manures under the direction of Mr. 

 Watts in 1899, gave no results, except perhaps to prove that with 

 proper manual cultivation and a sufficient supply of moisture, the 

 greater part of the Hope land contains all the plant food required by 

 Pine Apples. 



The experiments are being continued on a poorer soil. 



Mr. Cradwick makes the following observations on pine-apples in 

 the English market. The one pine-apple being sold in England is the 

 Smooth Cayenne, but not as many people would have us believe, on ac- 

 count of its superior quality. The chief reason it sells so well is that it 

 is a good looking pine, a fiuit of good size, fine colour, and a handsome 

 top, the weight ranging from 3 to 8 lbs., but the average about 4 to 6 

 lbs., larger not being required in England. The second reason for the 

 Cayenne celling better than the much finer flavoured Ripley is that it 

 gets to market in better condition. Many dealers lost money over the 

 Ripleys being bleck in the centre, although apparently good on the out- 

 side. Mr. Geo. Monro of Covent Garden stated that if Ripleys could 

 be got to market in good condition, they would run the Cayennes out 



