The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-11-10
DIFFICULT PROBLEM SOLVED
Delicafe Tropical Fruits OF e2aco
Are Now Packed In Peat
for Shipment.

What is considered highly impor-
tant discovery has lately been made IN
the matter Of the shipment OF fruits IL
Is believed that solution, has nnslAy
been found Of the problem OF trans
porting delicate tropical fruits long
distances.
The experiments, reports the Mexi-
san Herald. have been made by q
French company, under the auspices
of the French government. The ship
ments have been made from Guiana
and the island of Guadeloupe, In thu
Lesser Antilles, to France. and the
outcome is declared most satisfac-
tory.
The success of the new system
means much for Mexico. as 1t would
blaze q way for q new branch OF IN
dustry that must be q source OF great
riches to the country.
The secret of the new process ls the
development of. the fruit in particu-
lar kind Of peat or turf. that, namely.
which is known as yellow Dutch peat.
Pineapples. bananas, mangoes, sapotas
and other delicate fruits have been
taken when In perfectly ripe condition,
enveioped In the Abrous substance,
and, after several weeks spent In
transportation, have arrived at their
destination in q perfectly fresh and
sound condition.
Peat, as is known, II vegetable mat
ter more or less decomposed. which
passes by insensible degrees into lig-
mite The less perfectly decomposed
peat is generally Of brown color, that
which Is perfectly decomposed is often
black. Now, moist peat, 1t has for
some time been known. possesses de-
cided and powerful antiseptic property.
This is ascribed to the presence OF
gallic acid and tannin. It is manifest-
ed not only In the perfect preservation
Of ancient trees and Of leaves, fruits.
and the like, but sometimes even Of
animal bodies. Thus In some instances
human bodies have been found perfect
ly preserved in peat. after the, lapse Of
centuries.
For the new method Of shipping
fruits light brown, and consequently
only imperfectly decomposed, peat Il
taken In certain state Of moisture
and the fruit is hermetically Enclosed
therein. A certain degree Of humid
ity Is maintained until the fruit Il
ready for unpacking.
It 10 said that no offensive odoP b
communicated to the fruit, but 1t mus
be remembered that tho full details
Of the process have not been made
known by the French shippers, and II
is possible that there may be some
Interior treatment Of the turf that pre-
vents the fruit from being robbed 81
any Of It's delicious SAVIOR.
A successful outcome In this matter
would be Of exceeding moment. The
gourmets of Europe and Of the United
States, who have never left their home
country, are unaware OF the true ia.
vor Of the finest tropical fruits. Nc
way had hitherto been found fo1
shipping these fruits with their full
richness Of taste. In order that they
may not arrive In a state Of putre'
faction after Journey. they have tt
be picked, not only immature, but be
fore the pulp has reached its full de.
velopment, and when the fruit is still
fibry, and NO artificial means Il
known whereby fruit plucked In this
condition can ever be brought to .
condition Of real maturity. Without
maturity the full flavor does not exist