How to Find the Treasure: Go to one pineapple field in Bagua Mountain
Time of the Treasure Hunt: 14:00-16:00, Oct. 15, 2014.
Treasure Hunt Location: pineapple fields in Hexagrams Mountain
Interviewee: Yun-Zhen’s mother
Teammates: Yi-Sheng, Yi-Jia, An-Lun, Yun-Zhen, Yu-Jie
Diary Recorders: Yi-Sheng, An-Lun, Yu-Jie
Photographers: Yi-Jia, Yun-Zhen

　　Today, we went to a pineapple field at the foot of the mountain. As we stepped into it, we were happy to see rows of beautiful pineapples lying there. The field owner said that the sweet pineapples we eat are all grown from small, red seedlings with a year’s special care and cultivation.
　　The lady owner also told us that the pineapples in her field had been planted for three years, so they didn’t grow as big and neat as in the first year. Though they were smaller, they were sweeter than the bigger ones.
The peak season of pineapple is May and June. In order to prevent pineapples from sunburn and evaporation, farmers usually use leaves to wrap the fruits in summer. By doing so, the fruits grow not only bigger but also prettier and sweeter, which makes it easy to sell. In autumn, the pineapples are mainly used to make pineapple cakes, so they don’t have to be wrapped in leaves.
　　To let the fruit grow better, it is important to note that one seedling can only have one fruit, so that the fruit will have all the nutrients. Besides that, pineapples don’t need much water, so farmers have to be careful about the amount of water they sprinkle.
　　Next, we learnt the common pests on pineapple and its diseases. Tuttle mealybug, for example, usually appearing during December and January, is one kind of parasites living on pineapples. They use ants as a medium to march into the fruits. Other creatures, like nematodes and voles, damage pineapples as well. Therefore, farmers would use pesticides to get rid of them.
　　Today, we experienced picking pineapples as well. When harvesting, cut lateral leaves and then cut off the fruit from its bottom. Everyone was having fun when harvesting pineapples. Growing pineapples is not an easy job; one has to learn lots of things about the fruit.