582 
THE TROPICAL AGRtCULTURIST. [March 1, 1904. 
THE CULTIVATION OP PINB- 
APPLBS. 
The followiijg paper was read by Mr. Charles 
Eugene Smith lo teachers of elementary school?, at 
the Mica Institution, Kingston, Jmiaicfl. The paper 
first appeared in the Jamaica Bullttin (Yol. ix) in 
November 1902. Aa tha subject of the proper culti- 
vation, packing, etc., of piue-apples is one of general 
interest in thu West ludies, it has been decided to 
reproduce Mr. Smith's paper iu the West Indian Bulle- 
tin. It may be mentioned that Mr. (J. B. Smith is 
ijimself an extenHive grower of pine apples, and his 
experience and kuowlei ge of the subject are probably 
as good as any in these colonies : — 
The pine-apple is a decidedly exacting member of 
the vegetable kingdom, insisting upon having its 
wishes and needs respected and provided for, making 
no allowance whatever for our good intentions, and 
well illustrating what Miss Greenwood calls ' the , 
cussedness of inanimrite objec'P.' The soil is of first 
and most vital importance. The pine-apple will grow 
upon soil too poor for other products, but this soil 
must be light, loose and thoroughly drained. I quote 
a partial analysis of atypical pine-apple soil in South 
Florida :— 
Insoluble residue ... .. 97'o085 per cent. 
Humus ... ... ... '24 „ 
Nitrogen .. ... .. '0378 ,. 
Total phosphoric acid .. '0336 „ 
Total potash .. .. •0086 
'Jotal lime .. .. .. -2100 „ 
What portion of the phosphoric acid and potash 
given above is available is uot stated. 
In comparison I also give the analysis of the soils at 
Baroican and Billy Dun, St. Andrew, as recently fur- 
nished by the Ishind Chemist : — 
Barhican. 
Insoluble residue ... ... 77 40 per cent. 
Humua .. ... 1'765 ,, 
Nitrogen .. ... ... -1190 „ 
Total phosphoric acid .. '0973 ,, 
Available phosphoric acid ... "0402 „ 
I'otal potash ... ... -9887 „ 
Available potash ... ... '0134 ,, 
Total lime .. .. '7672 „ 
BiUy Dun, 
Insoluble residue ... ... 8071 per cent. 
Humus .. .. 1-32 „ 
' Nitiogen .. .. '0770 „ 
Total phosphoric acid .. '0973 ,, 
Available phosphoric acid .. '0411 ,, 
'J otal potash ... ... "0274 „ 
Available potash ... ... •0j84 ,i 
Total lime .. .. -6606 
The soils of Florida are so barren that the cane or 
banana planter of Jamaica would pass them by in 
contempt, yet these soils are made productive and 
profitable by the intelligent nse of green manures and 
commercial fertilizers, as well as by scientific and up- 
to-date methods of cultivation. Barren as they are, 
they give in mechanical condition just what the pine- 
apple desires. Stiff, hard, lumpy soils are absolutely 
unsuitable. If yon will strip the lower leaves from a 
pine Bucker you will note that the rootlets are already 
presaed close to the butt. Now if, when planted, 
these rootlets encounter soil, or lumps of soil, difflcult 
to peneti'ate) they continue this winding instead of 
spreading freely through the earth, resultfog in what 
is known as ' tangle root ' and the eonseqaent death 
or stunting of the planti 
I have heard the a-gnttlent U3ed that, whereas the 
pinguin is allied to the piue-apple, therefore any soil 
upon which the pinguin thrives is suitable for pine- 
Bpple growing. This is very superficial logici how* 
ever, for it is also true that the Tillandsias and 
yromelias are related to the pine, yet I do not think 
(hat anyone has advocated setting pineapple plants 
in the branches of the forest trees. Choose the 
lightest, sandiest soil you can find. Fertility is of 
secondary importance. 
PKEPAKATION op THE LAND. 
Very few soils exist in Jamaica naturally light 
enough to give the ideal conditions desirable for the 
pine-apple. We must therefore prepare the land we 
have selected with the utmost care, being thankful 
that this increased expense is folly offset by the 
greater fertility we enjoy here. The land must be 
thoroughly cleared of all trees and roots and the soil 
well worked with plough or fork until it is as fine as 
the seed bed of the market gardener. Drainage is of 
as great importance as the soil itself, no plant being 
more intolerant of excessive moisture. In St. Thomas- 
ye-Vale I find it necessary to rnn ditches as cloie as 
20 feet apart. In St. Andrew 40 feet apart will 
answer — the ditches being 2 feet wide and 18 inches 
deep. The bind between the ditches is divided into 
beds IO,to 12 feet wide with a 4 feet path separating 
the beds. The land should be carefully marked out 
fur planting, and it is well to continually bear in 
mind the fact that we are to engage in intensive cul- 
tivation. 
PKOPAGATION. 
The pine-apple is propagaied by suckers, ratoons, 
slips, croiuns, audi seeds. The word 'sucker' is nst-d 
BO indiscriminately in Jamaica, often referring indeed 
to young orange seedlings, tomato plants, etc., that 
1 may be pardoned for defining these terms. 
The true suckers are the offshoots, growing out from 
among the leaves of the parent plant. They are the 
best and, in a properly managed plantation, the only 
offshoots available for propagation. 
Eatoons are also suckers but are designated ratoons 
when thrown out from underground. After the 
fruit is cut the ratoon is the offshoot allowed to 
remain to bear the following year, as it is more 
firmly attached to the stock than the higher suckers, 
and has, in addition, roots of its own. When two 
ratoons are thrown out one should be removed and 
planted. 
Slips are the offshoots found at the base of 
the fruit in most varieties. Save that they are 
slower of growth, they answer as well as suckers for 
propagating, but, as I have remarked, in a properly 
managed plantation they are not available, as theV 
should be broken off as soon as formed, so that all 
the strength of the plant may go into the fruit. The 
Smooth Cayenne has no slips, only suckers, and this 
is one of several reasons which accounts for the 
high price of this variety, 
The crown is the tuft of leaves on top of the fruit. 
Crowns will make plants , but are of slow growth 
and, save when a fruit has been spoilt by rats or 
sunburn, they are naturally not available for planting, 
the crown being an attractive feature to the purchaser. 
Seeds are rarely found. I notice they are more 
common in Jamaica pines than in those from Florida. 
They are only used, after hybridizing, for the purpose 
of producing new varieties. 
PLANTING. 
The land being properly prepared and the suckers 
secured— by the way, they should ba 12 or 18 inches 
long and selected from bealthy plants which have 
borne or are bearing fruit— we are ready for planting. 
Opinions differ as to the best distance, there being 
arguments in favour of both wide and close setting. 
Four years ago I commenced planting at the usual 
Florida distance, 22 by 22 inches ; then 24 by 24, 24 
by 30, 3 by 8 feet, and even 3 by 4 feet. I have 
gradually been working back to shorter distances, 
and have just set 2,400 at 18 by 24 inches, t believe 
2 by 2 feet may be considered safe, thoagh mnch 
depends upon the location and variety. In St. 
Thomas-'ye-Vale, where the sky is clouded a great 
part of the time and there is a heavy rainfall, wide 
planting seems desirable ( but iu St. Andrew 1 prefer 
close planting, so that the ground may become 
gaickly shaded to prevent scalding of the KOOtSi 
