November 2, 1891,] 
THE TROHCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
309 
anil in order to secure one, it was found necessary 
to separate it from the branch with a file. On 
further examination and experiment, it was found 
Uiat the plant, or tree, eagerly devoured any metal 
its roots might come in contact with, and changed 
its color to the color of the metal last absorbed. I ? El). 
T. ..f.j 
Major Quincy A. Steele, who has been with an 
engineering corps sm-veying railroads in Central 
America for the last two years, gives an account of 
some very curious trees he met with there. Among 
the funniest are the electric-light tree, which gives 
milk, and the dough -producing tree. The oloctrie- 
light tree gives a light so strong that you can read 
or write by it by night; this tree is not a large one 
but very conspicuous, and scores of them may be seen 
over the country, like beacon lights set in the hills- 
The milk tree has a big tough skin that can be 
used for half-soloing shoes. To milk the tree, a 
hole is' bored in tlio trunk ; th-.n it lots down sap 
as white and as sweet im any even milked from a 
cow. 
The bread from tlio bread tree not exactly bread 
wbon picked, but it is a nice stiff dough inclosed 
ill a nutshell about the size of a goose egg. The 
nut is cracked, tlio dough taken out and kneaded 
a little, then is ready tor baking. Ily thinning it 
down with a little milk from the milk tree, it makes 
excellent pancakes. 
In behalf of those who arc interested in trees, 
I have collected the foregoing from what appears to 
be reliable literature, and without doubt truthfully 
describes those forest wonders.— Cut. JCural Press. 
THE CU1/1TVATK).\ Ob’ THU I'l.NE-Al’i’LE. 
(^Anands untied. Sell.) 
The pine-apple is a native of tropical America, but 
having become naturalised and growing in great abun- 
dance in the warmer parts of Asia and Africa, some 
authors hav-e written of the plant as being indigenous 
to those countries. Hr. Eindley, in treating of liro- 
ineliaceous plants, affirms, however, that it is a native 
of tliQ coiiliiioiit rtiid of Aijicricii. ^X'hc piuo* 
apple is exceedingly tenacious of life, and, owing to this 
circumstance, was probably one of the fir.st tropical 
fruits transplanted auccossfidly from its original homo 
to other warm countries. It has boon grown success- 
fully for very many years inmost of the warmer parts 
of the earth. The plant has already proved itself to be 
tyoll adapted to the Australian climate. It frequently 
ripens its fruit in sheltered positions in the vicinity of 
Hydney ; but to grow the plants as a commercial product 
it requires a warmer part of tho Colony than the latitude 
ot Sydney. Erom tho Clarence to the Tweed Hivers, 
however, there are numerous eligible sites for pino- 
applo plantations, which would, under careful man- 
agement, return hnndsonio jirotits on the oiitlav, not 
only by shipping tho fruit to nuirket but also by'gro'v- 
ing it for canning purposes. A cannery need not be 
an expensive affair, and ouo might very well be 
started by farmers on tho co-oporative principle in 
some central position on tho Cim-ence, Riehmoiid, or 
1 W’eed llivors. If tho cannery wore supplied with 
plenty of fruit during the season (and this could bo 
easily douej, I can safely say that, with good manago- 
ment, it would turn out to be a coinniorcial success. 
■ lu months ago, I visited a largo cannery 
111 Melbourne, whore pine-apples were being imported 
in great iiunibcrs from Queensland for canning pur- 
poses. If it paid a Melbtuiriie firni to import pine- 
apples from Queensland and can them, how much more 
would it pay Now South Welsbnicn to grow them 
and can them on tho spot? Hosidos tho ordinary 
profits made on canning the fruits, the amount paid 
in freight and customs duties by the iMelbournc canners 
oould bo added to tho profits, which would bo consider- 
able if tho industry were properly started here Tho 
canning proce.ss is withal so simple that it does not 
require a great outlay in machinery ora groat amount 
ot skilled labour. It is necessary for canning that 
the pme-apples should bo ripe, and as near the same 
size round as it is possible to get them ; so that when 
t'ley are cut, the ijliees will fit evealy iu the cans; 
this will save syrup, and, besides, tho preserves will 
present a bettor appearance when opened. Tho oper- 
ation of peeling mid slicing is done on tables by either 
women or boys. The pine-apples are cut across into 
slices about a quarter of an inch thick; these are 
carefully laid in tho cans until they are a little over 
three parts full ; a thick syrup is then poured out of 
a ladle into tho cans, but they are not quite filled, 
Tho tops of the cans are then soldered on, and the 
cans aro then put into an iron framework holding about 
fifty, and are lowered with a block and tackle into 
vats containing boiling water. After boiling for 
several minutes, the cans aro taken out and perforated 
at tho top to allow the steam to escape ; then they 
are hermetically sealed and put somewhero to coot 
When the cans are labelled they aro ready to bo placed 
on tho market. 
Varieties . — There aro numerous varieties of pine- 
apples. I once had twenty-two under cultivation ; but 
for all practical purposes tho number could be reduced 
to three or four. I subjoin a list with description of 
those that I consider best for general cultivation. 
Mack Jamaica. — Heaves small, narrow, dark gi-oon ; 
spines small and thinly set; fruit oval, somewhat 
pyramidal, dark brownish yellow ; pips middle-sized, 
prominent, flattened in tho centre ; flesh firm, pale 
yellow, rich, juicy, and highly flavoured. Its weight 
IS generally from 4 lb. to R lb. 
Oharlofte liothschild . — Heaves broad, with strong 
spines; dark green above and mealy underneath ; fruit 
large, colindrical, or slightly barrel-shaped ; pips large, 
flat, golden yoUow; flesh yellow, and very juicy. Its 
weight is generally from 71b. to 10 lb. 
Qween. — Heaves very short, broad, of a bluish green, 
very mealy ; spines strong, set widely apart ; fruit 
cylindrical, or a rich deep yellow ; pips middle-sized, 
prominent; flesh pale yellow, juicy, sweet, rich, and 
excellent. Its weight is generally from 3 lb to lb. 
This variety is undoubtedly tho best to cultivate for 
a summer crop; it is very hardy and matures early. 
Smoot k-Uaved. f 'ip/raiir.— Heaves long and smooth, or 
with very few spines ; fruit very hu-ge, pyramidal, dark 
orange yellow ; pips largo, flat; flesh pale yellow, rich 
and highly flavoured. A very handsome fruit weigh- 
ing from fj lb. to 3 lb. It is essentially an autumn 
and winter fruiting variety. This variety is largely 
gi-own in tho Azores for tho purpose of supplying tho 
JCnglish market dm-ing the winter and early spring 
months. ^ ^ 
Tho site of a pine apple plantation should be fully 
cxpoRca to tho Huu, but aheltei’ed iwainat prevailing 
winds — CRpecially tho BOiitherly ana weaterly ones. 
The land should ho well broKcii up with a strong 
plough, drawn hy hullocks, to a depth of at loast IT) 
inches, exposed to the influence of sun and air for 
sonietiino previous to the planting taking place, and 
be scarified occasionally. The soil best suited to the 
{growth of the pine-apple is one that is fairly rich in 
humus (svhich can hociisily found in the north-eastern 
portion of this Colony), and affords a free passage of 
water through it, with a well-drained subsoil : nothing 
harnia the pinc-apple so much as stagnant moisture! 
I he I ropiujationof the is effected 
by seeds, crowns, cuttings of the stem, and suckers, 
i ho latter, however, is the best and most expeditious 
way, and the one generally adopted. Suckers not only 
fruit much quicker than those propagated by other 
means, but also produce the finest fruit. Therefore, 
1 shall only treat of that mode of propagation. Suck- 
ers will form at tho base of tho plant when it is in 
fruit, and, after the latter is ripe and cut off, they 
will grow quickly. The best time of the year to take 
them from tho parent plant is in Dlarch, or at the 
latter end of September. March is the best month, 
however, for the young plants will have a better oppor- 
tunity of making consictemblo root action before the 
hot weather sets in, and, consequently, they willcoiiin 
to a fruiting state much earlier tlian tliose that are 
not planted till spring. The 8ucker.s should be carf' 
fully removed from tho parent plant, by taking liold do e 
to thoir base and moving them from side to sid 1 ^ 
sides twisting a little at the same time Tiv • i ’ 
should bo pared with a sharp knife, and a few, onfo 
a very few, of tho lower leaves taken off miH,, V, Yi 
upw iie leftdy fpr fllantmi;. ^ 
