Patricia Hawkins age 13 of Sun Valley, California, for her question:

Where  did the pineapple originate?

Most of the world's pineapples are grown and canned in the Hawaiian Islands and to see the vast fields growing there you would think that the; chubby fruit was a native Hawaiian. But this is not so. The pineapple is a native of the Americas. It was found growing by Christopher Columbus and others who explored the, tropica1 regions of the new World. The Indians had most likely been tending it for many generations, far the pineapple is a plaint that needs cultivation.

The fruit bruises easily in racking, which is why most of Hawaii’s crop is canned. Our fresh pineapple cones from Cuba,, Mexico and Puerto Rico and we got a small quantity from the frost free regions of Florida. The Hawaiian variety, however, yields a superior fruit, which is why canned pineapple: is so sweet and juicy.