Tropical Fruits 
SMOOTH CAYENNE PINEAPPLE CULTURE AT 
PUNTA GORDA, FLA. 
J. M. Weeks. 
Mr . President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 
Some weeks ago I was requested to 
write an article on the above subject, and 
I asked the gentleman making the request 
whether or not he wanted a true history 
of the fruit as I know it here—the fail¬ 
ures as well as the successes. “Oh,” he 
remarked, “you need not mention the 
failures.” The article was not written. 
I believe the stating of actual facts as 
nearly as we can give them, and the pre¬ 
senting, as nearly as we can, reasons for 
the successes and the failures in any busi¬ 
ness, to be better eventually for the State 
and the community, than painting every¬ 
thing “rosecolor,” thus finally creating 
discontent and disgust in the enthusiastic 
settler. 
My experience in pineapple growing 
has been limited to the culture of the 
Smooth Cayenne variety, under sheds, 
near Punta Gorda during the past ten 
years. 
Almost all the lands in and adjacent to 
Punta Gorda are adapted to the shed- 
grown, fancy, Smooth Cayenne pineapple, 
but some are better than others. For in¬ 
stance, lands lying within one-half mile 
of Charlotte Harbor are better protected 
from cold than those farther away. Then 
some low lands which can be readily 
drained are better than the higher, lighter, 
more sandy soils, because they seem to 
contain more humus and the pineapple is 
a very gross feeder. 
The country about Punta Gorda is 
nearly level, with a gradual slope from 
the interior to the shores of the bay, thus 
giving good drainage where ditched. Its 
natural growth is pine trees and palmet- 
toes. 
The first step for the prospective pine¬ 
apple grower, after selecting and purchas¬ 
ing his land, is to have it cleared, or 
“grubbed.” This will cost him from 
$30.00 to $50.00 per acre, the price being 
governed by the amount of trees and pal- 
mettoes on the tract. Then it should be 
plowed and later harrowed fine. The 
first plowing will cost $6.00 per acre, and 
