FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
75 
Iti the beginning, I wish to accord to 
Prof. H. K. Miller full credit for the 
part he has had in this work. He plan¬ 
ned the experiment and had immediate 
supervision of it for three years, and on 
his retiring from Statio%work, the writer, 
who was associated with him during 
this time, was placed in charge, and has 
endeavored to carry to krompletion the 
plans which Prof. Miller projected. Much 
credit is also due Mr. W. R. Hardee, 
whose hearty co-operation, and sincere 
interest in solving the problems which 
confront the pineapple grower, have 
made it possible to continue the experi- 
lU'cnt over so long a period. 
Credit is also due a number of others 
whose names I need not mention, but 
who, nevertheless, lent efficient aid, and 
acknowledgment is hereby made to all 
such. 
OBJECT OF THE EXPERIMENT. 
The object of the experiment, as stat¬ 
ed in the bulletin referred to above, is to 
find out from what source or sources it is 
best to obtain fertilizing materials for 
pineapples; the right amount to use; best 
method of applying; ratio for phosphoric 
acid, nitrogen and potash.; the effect of 
shading, and to determine any other con¬ 
ditions which will prove of advantage to 
the grower. 
Certainly not all of these questions have 
been answered to our satisfaction, per¬ 
haps none of them have been fully ans¬ 
wered. However, we had not hoped to 
lie able to make two pineapples grow 
where one grew before, nor to produce 
two at the cost of what had formerly been 
the cost of producing one, but we did 
hope to throw some light on some or all 
of these questions, and we leave it for 
those who studv the results obtained, to 
say with what success we have accom¬ 
plished our task. That there is much yet 
to be learned, there is no doubt. 
GENERAL PLAN OF THE EXPERIMENT. 
The experiment was commenced in the 
spring of 1901, arrangements having been 
made with Hardee Bros, of Jensen to con¬ 
duct it as a co-operative experiment, they 
furnishing the land, work, etc., and the 
Experiment Station to plan and direct 
it, and furnish fertilizers and shed, and 
have samples of the fruit for analysis 
when required. 
In accordance with this plan, Hardee 
Bros, set aside for the experiment about 
one acre of virgin spruce pine land. It 
was cleared and put into thorough con¬ 
dition, laid off into 96 plots, 24 sections 
of four plots each, as shown on diagram, 
and in Augnst of that year, planted to 
slips of the Red Spanish variety. 
The plots are 1-150 of an acre in size,, 
and contained, in the beginning, just 100 
plants each, making a total of 9600 plants. 
On account of a border around the out¬ 
er edge, and extra space required for al¬ 
ley-ways only about 2-3 of an acre was ac¬ 
tually required for the experiment. 
PLAN FOR FERTILIZER APPLICATION. 
As mentioned above, the plots are in 
sections of four, all the plots in a section 
receiving the same kind of fertilizers, but 
in gradually increasing amounts, begin¬ 
ning with the first in the section. 
The second plot in the sections is taken 
as the standard, and received annually 
.8 pound phosphoric acid, i.o pound ni¬ 
trogen and 2.00 pounds potash, or to put 
it in terms of pounds per acre, it received 
at the rate of 3000 pounds per acre of a 
fertilizer which would analyze 4 per cent. 
