14 



which it is necessary to cultivate to keep clean. If the land is full of 

 joint grasses, the one-row system is well adapted because it is possible 

 to enter the beds and weed, while in the wider beds this is practically 

 impossible. 



The great objection to the one-row system is that as soon as the 

 fruit attains any considerable size it does not remain in an upright 

 position, and when, in leaning to one side, it does not receive support 

 from neighboring plants, it bends farther until it reaches the ground. 

 In that position it is subject to sun scald on the upper side and will 

 be unfit for shipment. Also, after harvesting the fruit, the suckers 

 left on the plant are liable to be blown off and, even if they remain 

 in an upright position until fruiting, the weight of the fruit is almost 

 sure to bend them down. Such beds, therefore, should not be con- 

 tinued except by leaving the rattoons and the very lowest suckers or 

 else replanting. (See PL III, fig. 2.) 



* THE DOUBLE-ROW SYSTEM. 



For double rows the beds are laid off by plowing several furrows 

 together and using some hand work in finishing off. The plants are 

 set from 12 to 22 inches apart each way, leaving a margin of 6 inches 

 or more on each side of the bed. This system can be used in any 

 kind of soil. It has practically all of the advantages of the one-row 

 system and the disadvantage of plants and fruit falling over is greatly 

 reduced, although it leaves considerable to be desired in that re- 

 spect. In soils that are inclined to be weedy, the two-row system is 

 preferred to any other, but in comparatively clean soil, and especially 

 those containing no joint grasses, beds wide enough to plant from 

 three to six rows of pines are preferable. 



THE THREE TO SIX ROW SYSTEM. 



In making beds for the three to six row system the same method 

 can be used as for the one and the two row beds, but considerable 

 hand work is needed besides. It is good practice to leave a space of 

 6 feet between the beds, which should be excavated so as to leave the 

 top of the beds at least 12 inches above the bottom of the walk be- 

 tween the beds. If the plants are set 15 inches apart and six rows 

 to the bed it would require beds fully 7 feet wide. This is not too 

 wide for working easily, provided the land is not weedy, while it al- 

 most completely eliminates the falling over of plants and fruit. It 

 has been found, however, that where the soil is not physically well 

 suited to pineapples the rows in the middle of the bed do not produce 

 as well as those on the outside, and one should therefore carefully 

 consider the conditions before laying off the beds by this method. 

 (See PI. V.) 



