128 



FLORIDA FRUITS. 



But DO matter how the plants are rooted, it is necessary to 

 see that after being set out they do not lack moisture until thor- 

 oughly established — a period that will be known by a wider 

 opening of the offset in the centre, and new leaves appearing 

 there ; after that they may be mulched when the soil is moist, 

 and left to take care of themselves, so far as moisture is con- 

 cerned. 



In preparing ground for a pine-apple plantation, parallel 

 lines three feet apart should be laid off, and a compost of well- 

 rotted stable manure and muck, or leaves, or muck and bone- 

 meal, spread in along these lines for a width of about eighteen 

 inches and a depth of one foot. 



The trenches thus prepared should be settled by one or more 

 heavy rains before setting out the plants. The latter should be 

 placed two feet apart, not closer, to insure each plant plenty of 

 room. Too close planting will, of a surety, stunt both plant and 

 fruit. 



In the West Indies and Bahamas, the growers plant close, to 

 keep down the weeds, and they succeed admirably in keeping 

 down the fruit also. They plant from 20,000 to 25,000 on an 

 acre : this is why we see so much small and inferior fruit thrown 

 en the American markets. 



Planted as the experience of our leading Florida growers 

 recommend, as given above, an acre will contain, say, 6,500 

 plants ; these, at twenty-five cents for each fruit, will bring their 

 owner the respectable sum of 81,625 — no mean_ showing as the 

 earnings of one acre of ground ; and in addition to this amount 

 of hard cash, must be added its representative in the shape of 

 the suckers, crownlets, and slips that remain after the fruit is 

 .ready for market, enough to set out two or three acres of land. 



Sometimes fruit is obtained in twenty months, oftener in 

 two years, and sometimes not for three or more, from the setting 

 ■out of the offsets ; it all depends on the care they receive, and, 

 above all, on their proper protection from frost. 



Pine-apples, once started, need little care ; almost none if the 

 ground about them is heavily mulched, but if not, they should be 

 mulched to keep down weeds, this latter being the extent of their 



