Edible Products. 



344 



[October, 1908. 



I will concede that stock will eat 

 prickly pear when all edible grass and 

 scrub have failed, and while feeding on 

 it will require little or no water ; but 

 they will never thrive on it, as has 

 been conclusively proved by the illus- 

 trations given. 



Anyone who will take the trouble 

 to open beasts that have been fed on 

 prickly pear will see the mouths and 

 entrails penetrated with thorns, and 

 then realise the cruelty, as well as the 

 futility, of giving the animals such 

 food. — Queensland Agricidtural Jour- 

 nal, Vol. XXL, Part 2., August, 1908. 



PINEAPPLE CULTURE. IV. 

 HANDLING THE CROP. 



Introduction. 

 The evolution of the methods of pre- 

 paring pineapples for market has cover, 

 ed a period of about twenty years- 

 From a crude beginning the methods 

 have gradually changed from year to 

 year, until now the care given to the 

 handling of the pineapple crop will com- 

 pare favourably with that bestowed 

 upon any other fruit found in our fruit 

 markets. 



At first, pineapples were shipped in 

 old or discarded barrels with holes 

 chopped in their staves to ensure ventil- 

 ation. An old jute sack put over the 

 top and held in place by the top hoop 

 served as a cover. About 1890 the barrel 

 crate, 12 by 20 by 36 inches, was in use 

 and continued to be used until discarded 

 in favour of the crate, holding approxi- 

 mately a half barrel, measuring 10| by 

 12 by 36 inches. This crate is still in use. 

 The crates at first were marked with a 

 pencil or brush, but fiually the rubber 

 stamp was introduced. 



In the packing of pineapples in the 

 early days no wrapping paper was used. 

 Then common newspapers were used for 

 wrapping. These were followed by 

 plain manilla sheets, and finally coloured 

 and stamped paper came into vogue. 



The first pineapples (1885 and later) 

 were shipped by sail boat on the Indian 

 River to Titusville, thence they were 

 hauled across to the St. John's River to 

 be loaded on the steamer. It was not 

 until the present territory was opened 

 up by the railroad that the pineapple 

 industry took rank among the important 

 horticultural crops of the State. 



Packing Houses and Equipment. 

 The pineapple packing house should 

 be so arranged as to give every possible 



convenience for handling the fruit. The 

 picking season is usually quite short, 

 the bulk of the fruit being removed in 

 about three weeks. During this time 

 the fruit must be moved rapidly to pre- 

 vent its becoming overripe, and a con- 

 veniently arranged packing house goes a 

 long way in facilitating the work. 



As a general principle the fruit should 

 enter at one end or side of the building, 

 and as the several steps in the process 

 of packing are performed, it should be 

 moved away from the point of entry. 

 The packing house should be construct- 

 ed so as to render lifting the fruit or 

 packed crates unnecessary. Plenty of 

 light, air and good protection against 

 heat should be afforded. If the house 

 can be placed close beside a side track, 

 so as to load the packed eiates directly 

 into the car, it will be found very con- 

 venient, as well as less expensive. 



The packing house need not be expen- 

 sive, but it should be well and substanti- 

 ally built. Two convenient houses have 

 been erected by Mr. C. T. McCarty, 

 President of the Florida State Horti- 

 cultural Society, Eldred, Fla. The first 

 of these is two stories high, 40 feet long 

 and 20 feet wide, surrounded by a plat- 

 form 8 feet wide. This platform is pro- 

 tected on the east and west by 8 feet of 

 overhanging roof. This gives a protect- 

 ed platform 80 feet long and 8 feet wide. 

 Inside the fruit bin extends along one 

 side the entire length of the building 

 (40 feet). It is 3 feet wide, 16 inches 

 deep, and holds one hundred and twenty 

 five crates of pineapples when full. 



The upper story holds 1,000 crates 

 made up, and there is sufficient floor 

 space below to hold 3,500 crates at the 

 same time, leaving plenty of room for 

 crate making, packing and heading up. 

 The entire east side can be opened up to 

 admit air and take in fruit. This is 

 done by a series of windows hung on 

 pulleys and operated from inside. The 

 fruit is brought from the field in wheel- 

 barrows. The south end and west side 

 are provided with six-foot sliding doors. 

 Such a packing house can be used in 

 handling a crop of 3,500 to 4,500 crates 

 conveniently, and costs $600. 



The second house is larger, 50 by 20 

 feet, two stories high. The roof projects 

 twelve feet, the platform along one side 

 only beneath the projection is four feet 

 wide. The south end is provided with a 

 six-foot platform. The fruit bin at pre- 

 sent extends the length of the building, 

 three feet wide, two feet high from the 

 floor, twelve inches deep, and will hold 

 one hundred and fifty crates. 



