The mechanical harvesting machine which extends across the pineapple fields. Field hands walk behind the boom and handpick the ripe fruit selectively, place it on the arm, and a conveyer rolls it into the truck. Note the rich red highly mineralized soil on which Hawaii’s second largest industry depends.
Pineapple Harvesting…Libby’s modern machinery and skillful pickers labor together in Hawaii’s fertile pineapple fields harvesting the “King of Fruits.”
No caption.
A scowling youth,
Vaguely Karloffesque,
Crouches,
Knife in hand,
Decapitating pineapples.
Pineapple Growing
Sweet, delicious Hawaiian pineapples are grown on most of the Islands and one of Hawaii’s chief exports. The pineapples ripen to full maturity in 18 to 20 months and are hand-picked for shipment to canneries for processing.
C161 — Laying Mulch Paper
The mulch paper is laid in long strips on the ground, and Pineapple slips are inserted through punctures in the paper. This conserves the moisture and allows the Pineapple slip to grow unmolested by weeds.
This postcard comes before C162 — Planting Pineapple in the series, but this one is (thankfully) posterior-free…
A Florida winter is glorious—
It’s summers are equally fine;
For rain cools the air, and always a breeze
Is shaking the long needle pine.
No caption.That’s nothin’. The “Giant Kew,” which is one of the most popular varieties in India, commonly reaches 20 pounds. But the “Giant Kew” has a giant core, which, once it is removed, leaves a hole so massive that they can’t use it for canned slices.
62 — MARTINIQUE
Récolte d’ananas au Morne Rouge.
Pine apple [sic] gathering.
This postcard is from Le Morne-Rouge, a small town located in the northern part of the island of Martinique. Le Morne-Rouge is, apparently, a hotbed of pineapple activity.
“This village stretches to the foot of Mont Pelée. For those who want to climb the majestic mountain, it is best to hire a guide. Le Morne-Rouge also is known for its pineapple jam, anthurium plantations and well-known spring waters, which are bottled here.”
Just keep in mind that the “majestic mountain” also happens to be a volcano, whose massive 1902 eruption earned it the distinction of being the third most deadly volcanic eruption of all time.
Martinique’s love of the pineapple has also “erupted” in the form of rare and exotic culinary traditions.
“The tourist development in Martinique has not disturbed the charm of these quiet districts where the small sail boats are still called ‘gomyés’, where the grandmothers still know how to prepare soursop fritters, where the pineapple slices served with the ti’punch of Martinique are cut in a fancy way.”
Pineapple “cut in a fancy way!?!” If that doesn’t make you want to get off your duff and book a flight right now, then someone needs to check you for a pulse.
In 1997, Martinique played host to the Second International Pineapple Symposium, where B. Aubéry presented a paper entitled Pineapple Production in Northern Martinique which probably talks about Le Morne-Rouge in some detail, but I’m too cheap to pay the €10 to find out.
Besides, I think my money would be better spent on the gripping On Farm Approach Of Pineapple Fruitlet Core Rot Disease In Martinique (F. Marie, E. Malezieux, J. Marchal, X. Perrier), from the Third (and probably better) International Pineapple Symposium (Thailand, 2000).
Raising pineapples in Hawaii is second only to the sugar industry. Pineapples do not grow on trees nor in cans! Stranger still, they are planted in paper!
Tiny Pineapple is the personal website of Grettir Asmundarson, single father of two tween girls, information security wonk, writer, film school drop-out, and actor (semi-retired).
