FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
99 
disinfection of soil and of plants have 
been carried on. Natal, napier grass and 
rattle box have been tried as rotating 
crops, and healthy plants sterilized, fumi¬ 
gated and planted in 1919 show signs of 
giving a good crop this season. Plots of 
ground on old fields have been steamed, 
and others treated with formaldehyde or 
with carbon bisulphide. The experiments 
are being conducted to prove or disprove 
the many theories that have been ad¬ 
vanced and the information obtained will 
always be of value to whoever grows 
pineapples in Florida. 
An association for the Promotion of 
Pineapple Culture was formed in July, 
1919, and about $1,500 was raised to help 
the State carry out its experimental work. 
The treasury is at low ebb at the present 
time, but money will be forthcoming in 
same way. The work must not stop! 
There are fields that went through the 
cold spells of 1917 with little injury, and 
were fertilized normally that fruited well 
last year and the fruit brought high 
prices. A few fields that were cleaned off 
and allowed to remain fallow in 1917 and 
1918, were replanted in 1919 and at the 
present writing the plants are full of 
bloom and promise a 90% crop. The 
plants look healthy. One field, belonging 
to D. T. McCarty, is located on Riverside 
Drive, Dixie Highway, one mile south of 
Ft. Pierce, and is observed by every one 
passing. One company has made con¬ 
tracts to replant a thousand or more acres 
of pineapples during the coming season 
and there is hopes of the industry being 
restored. 
The land immediately adjoining and 
overlooking the Indian River is in de¬ 
mand as winter resident sites, and the lo¬ 
cation is beautiful with about 35 feet ele¬ 
vation above the river and a hard as¬ 
phalted road over which all automobiles 
pass to and from Miami and Palm Beach. 
Many acres of the old pineapple belt 
will never be planted to pineapples again. 
Other crops such as limes, guavas, avoca¬ 
dos, pigeon peas, cassava and nursery 
stock have been planted and will produce 
an income. 
Local pineapple plants are very scarce 
and high in price, but plants will be im¬ 
ported from other parts of the world, 
and in a few more years the pineapple in¬ 
dustry will again be an important factor 
in Florida’s upbuilding. 
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