148 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
both; the grower will have to use his own 
judgment in this matter to a large extent. 
When to pick the fruit so as to get it to 
the market in the best possible shape is 
one of the all-important points of the in¬ 
dustry. The apple should show a light 
greenish cast around the base. It should 
always be remembered that a Red Span¬ 
ish pineapple always ripens from the out¬ 
side in; also from the base to the top of 
the apple. When pines are picked in this 
condition they will keep for some time, 
even in the heart of the summer, if they 
are not bruised. 
Step number two is the method of get¬ 
ting the apple from the field to the pack¬ 
ing house. Some people use a wheel¬ 
barrow with a rack; into this the apples 
are placed where they are then taken to 
the house; others use pineapple crates 
that are filled by the wheeler as they are 
thrown by the picker. These crates are 
picked up and hauled to the house with 
a wagon, where they are carefully laid in¬ 
to the bins, being now ready for wrap¬ 
ping. Baskets are also sometimes used 
in place of crates on the wagon. When 
the pines arrive at the packing-house they 
are placed in long bins about four feet 
wide and three feet deep; from this they 
are packed. If the fruit is wet when it 
is brought to the house, it is always let 
dry in order to save spotting the paper. 
Pineapples are packed in crates ioj 4 by 
12 by 36 inches; they are wrapped in 
strong paper 15 by 20 inches. Most grow¬ 
ers use plain white, because it is stronger; 
still many growers use the colored paper 
with varied success. 
Sizing is all done with the eye and is a 
most particular job; the crate must be 
packed snug but not full enough, so when 
the covering is put on that it bruises the 
apples. The point should be carefully 
borne in mind, that the apple in transit 
shrinks a trifle, so that what seems to be 
a perfect package on leaving your pack¬ 
ing-house will not be so when it is re¬ 
ceived by your commission house. Ex¬ 
perience is one's only teacher in the mat¬ 
ter of packing and the man who feels 
that he is shrewd enough to beat the 
buyer on his pack will find, to his sor¬ 
row, that he is receiving from 10 to 25 
cents less for his fruit than his neighbor. 
Pineapples run in size from 18 to 48 
to the crate; they are laid in the crates 
crossways, alternately apple and crown; 
this is done to prevent bruising if one 
apple came in direct contact with an¬ 
other. The crate is made the wide way, 
so as to give the apple more room. Each 
package should be packed with carefully 
selected fruit both as to size and quality. 
Never pack an apple that is the least bit 
doubtful, because you not only lower the 
price on that crate, but you lower the 
reputation of your brand which is price¬ 
less. 
An ordinary packer packs 100 crates 
a day and does it well. Of course, size 
has a great deal to clo with the number 
a man can pack, but for all season’s work 
100 crates a day is plenty. 
Your crate should be stenciled or, if 
you prefer, stamped with your name, va¬ 
riety, etc., so as to present a neat and 
attractive appearance. 
My whole article has dealt with the 
Red Spanish Pineapple, which is king of 
all varieties; it has won its place justly 
in the great markets of the world against 
the bitterest competition. Cuba with her 
immense crops of pineapples combined 
with both Florida’s and Porto Rico’s form 
a stupendous business. It is sufficient to 
say that if we are to retain our enviable 
position as producing the finest pineapple 
