THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1903. 
marked with twenty-incli checks, you can lay off your 
alloys and main avenues as you please, skipping a 
certain number of rows where you want a path. 
The main avenue should run across the centre of the 
field and be wide enough for a waggon or a tram-road. 
The alleys runniug at right angles from this should 
be at intervals of twenty to thirty rows, and be from 
two to four rows wide, When the fruit is gathered 
the pickers stand in the beds, and as they break off 
the fruit toss it to men who stand in tfhose side alleys 
who catch it and convey it the iiiaiu avenue where 
it is loaded on a cart or tram-car. 
As soon as the field is planted apply a large pinch 
of tobacco dust and cottonseed meal or castor pomace 
(half and half) in the bud of each siip. As soon as 
the plants begin to root some apply GOO pounds per 
acre and scufHe it in. This can be repeated with ad- 
vantage it th'9 weather ij wet, every month or six 
weeks, always bearing in mind that it is waste to apply 
fertilizer to young plants in dry weather. A ton or 
more can be applied to advantage per aero during 
the first six to eight months. Uastor pomace is at 
present the cheapest, and tobacco is not much needed 
at first unless the slips have red spider or mealy 
bug. la this case apply tobaccco dust in the bud 
frequently and heavily. Keep the buds always full and 
the spiders will soon disappear, if there is much rain. 
For the first twelve months nothing else is needed 
on the young field but these fertilizers, and from 
3,00li to 5,000 pounds per acre can be used to advan- 
tage. Apply often and lightly, and scufH) frequently. 
You can't cultivate too much. The second September 
use blood and bone mixed wiih one-third its weight 
of .50 per cent, sulphate potash, half a ton per acre. 
Then in November use same, half and half, from 
500 to 1,000 pounds, as nseded, and in January apply 
half a ton to 1,500 pounds of half-steimed bone meal 
(or flour) and half potash. Always use the 50 per 
cent, sulphate and the high grade blood and bone. 
Do not work or cultivate yonr field again till the 
fruit has been gathered, and then apply first castor 
pompace, in July, then proceed as before through 
the autumn. Wlriile this is not an irunclad rule for 
procedure, it is as good a rule to follow as any you 
can formulate, and will always produce the max- 
imum results. The pineapple is severely damaged by 
many of the very best kinds of commercial fertilizers 
as has been proven by experience and latter by some 
exhaustive tests carried on at Jensen by Prof. Rolfs 
of the agricultural department. With these fertilizers 
the mazimum results will be obtained, and the greatest 
immunity from disease and insects insured, securing a 
long-lived field. 
Bear in mind that at any time the red spiders 
make their appearance, tobacco dust is the remedy 
to be applied freely and nt once, in the buds of tha 
plants. I£ dry wilt appears, better pull up the 
plant at once, remove from field and bufu and replace 
with a healthy sucker. 
In gathering fruit for shipment always gather while 
cool, if dry (free from dew ;) or if they are hot from 
the sun, leave them in the packing house over night 
to cool loefore boxing. — Times- Onion. — Florida, Agri- 
culturist. 
QUEEN OP FLOWERS. 
This magnificent flowering tree, a native of Ceylon 
and India (Lac/erstramia Floa-reginw), is well known 
in the West Indies but it is not bo generally culti- 
vated as it deserves. Besides the beauty of its 
flowers the timber is very valuable. The flowers 
are usually purple but there is a handsome variety 
at the Botanic Station at Antigua with pink flowers. 
With regard to the occurrence of the tree at Bar- 
bados the Hon'ble Forster M. AUeyne (Porter's) writes 
as follows : — 
I think you would be conferring a great benefit to 
Barbados, if you would endeavour to increase the 
supply of plant-i of ouf beautiful flowering tree the 
'Queen of flowers, which seems to nxerging on ex- 
tinction. I have a fine tree here, now in full bloom, 
which bears copious seed pods, but for years past 
1 have been un^.ble to obtain fertile seed, I have 
also tried cutting! and layers, but to no effect. 
Possibly others more skilful than myself have 
succeeded but I have not heard of them. All the 
trees of this species which I know in Barbados are 
very old, and there seems reasoi to believe that it 
will die out in a few years if efforts are not made 
to rejuvenate it. The skill of your Department may 
remedy this evil, either by raising seeds or by im- 
porting young plants from other islands which could 
not fail to be a great boon to the community. — 
Agricultural N'eios, 
•* 
CULTIVATION OF ALOE FIBRES. 
M. Gh. Rividre his given in the " Journal d' Api- 
culture TropicalH " (January, 1903) a short account 
of the chmuologioal distribution of aloe fibres 
under culture. 
For hot aui d imp tropical regiom, Furcrma gi- 
ganfea, ' Alauritiu? hemp " a species remarkable for 
the length of its fibre, is especially indicated. la 
moderately hot countries in which the summer heat 
IS prolonged and the thermometer rarely falls to 
zsro, the Mexican plants are to be preferred; the 
variety most exploited is " Sisal hemp " or '' Hene. 
quen " (Agave rigida). In elevated regions where 
the h^at is prolonged and the rainfall small, bat 
where cold is sometimes experienced, the Tampioo 
hemp {Agaoe heteracantki) is the most suitable plant 
on account of it^ comparative hardiness. Finally, 
Agave americana and Aqave mextcana can be culti- 
vated in almo.=it any climate except those iu which 
irost IS common and protracted.— .Soared Of Trade 
Journal. 
PINE-APPLES IN JAMAICA. 
_ As showing the difficulty sometimes experienced 
m pme cultivation in the West Indies owing to the 
selection of an unsuitable locality and other causes, 
wo quote the following from tlie Jamaica Gleaner 
ot May i :— We learn that the United Fruit Com- 
pany's experiment in pine growing at Gregory Park 
has not turned out the success it was anticipated. 
The plants have grown to an enormous size bat 
will not fulfil the promise of a fine crop. It is 
stated that fully 50 per cent, of the plants are 
bearing ' cocks' combs ' and many-headed pines. We 
understand that this generally happens when the 
soil is of an excessive richness and when there has 
been over fertilization. It is said that the experi- 
ment has 80 far cost over £500. There is a belief, 
however, that the next crop will yield better results. 
— Agricultund News. 
Dbessino for Horses— Tho following simple 
treatment for galls and sores on horses is strongly 
recommended ia the Sugar Planters' Journal: 'Use 
one part pure oxide of zinc to about 12 to 14 parts 
of vaseline. Mix ssrell. A little melted, strained 
mutton tallow added improves it, but is not absolutely 
essential. Use for galls, sores, and all skin ail- 
montj of AnimAh:— Agricultural News. 
Oposauas AJioNa Bananas.— A Dundee grocer, on 
opening a box of bananas, shipped at Jamaica, was 
startled to find among the fruit five animals. The 
Zoological Department wis communicated with, and 
on an examination by Professor Daroy Thompson, 
the animals proved to be opossums. One was the 
mother and the other four her young. Two of the 
young opossums were dead, but the mother and the 
other two on being tended to are now doing well, 
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