The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-07-17


present emergency in marketing pine.
apples it seems imperative that all con.
cerned should get together at once and
consider seriously the problem Of pro.
ducing fruit which is free from pests
and which meets all the requirements
of the modern market.
Realizing the Importance of extend.
ing the markets for the excellent pine,
apples of Hawaii, the Hawaii Expert.
ment Station is making study of the
whole question of producing and mar.
keting the highest grade of fruit.
There are number of problems con.
nected with the shipping of fresh pine
apples which are yet unsolved There
fore, we intend to continue the inves-
LEGATIONS during the present season. MIR.
Higgins, horticulturist of the station,
will sail about the 18th of August with
some experimental shipments, ascertain
ing the results of these, will return to
Hawaii and make several further ship.
ments, during the present season.
This station has been working on the
insects affecting the pineapple and their
control for several years and has OBJ
tanned some definite results. As regards
the inspection of Hawaiian pineapples
in San Francisco, the local growers will
have to face the law on the subject
The California horticultural quarantine
law, like our own, is inflexible and
nothing can be gained by attempting
to analyze the law, the feeling back of
it, or the motives of the inspector who
inforces it. NJ. Ehrhorn, the quaran.
tine officer of the port of San Fran
cisco, is a professional man of good
n q 4.
world and an authority in his line. He
would not and could not afford to sacri.
, fee his professional standing by lend.
ing himself to any commercial scheme
: to unjustly shut out Hawaiian pine
apples If Mr.. Ehrhorn says that Ha.
waiian pines are infested with living
scale-insects, we have no reason or right
to believe this to be untrue. The fruit
must be clean before entrance will be
! allowed. AS to the disposal of the fruit
or their refumigaton if not clean, he
2 must carry out orders handed down to
him.
This problem along with many Others
has been met and solved by all fruit
producing sections of the country. We
are confident that it will be fully
worked out in the case of Hawaiian
pineapples. If California will not al
j., low refumigation of infested fruit at
= San Francisco, it will work injury to
some shippers this season but will not
. permanently affect the shipment of
u fresh pines for it is possible to ship
' clean fruit. 1t has been done since the
= recent ruling on the part of the Cali
', fornia authorities. Mr. Van Dine per
y sonally superintendent the fumigation of
" one shipment of some fifteen tons that
:, went up on the last Hilonian and the
: entire lot passed the inspection without
) any difficulty on the part of the ship
per. shipment on the same boat from
:, an uniformed Chinaman was held up
= Lack of information on what to do oil
, the use of low grade chemicals are moi
- legitimate excuses to present to the
y California people. They do not care
what IS dond or what is not done SC
long as the fruit arrives free from liv
ing insects. The problem is new one
:, and it has not been possible to give def
u mite advice. This season s work will
; however, enable us to speak with quite
= definite assurance on the subject. Ii
u the shipment above referred to, Mr.
,, Van Dine had to use low grade cyan
u ide because the local supply of pure
!. stock had been exhausted, but, knowing
=, the per cent of purity, it simply meant
that to get certain amount of gas il
" given space, a larger amount had *
:, be used The danger from low grad,
u cyanide lies in using it under the I'M
= preston that it is of standard purity
Even if it were not possible to clear
I the fruit by fumigation, and we hav,
- already shown that it is possible, W,
- can carry the problem of insect contro
!, right back to the field and control i
- there. In fact, that is the logical thing
to do and while we are doing every
y thing in our power at the station t.
- meet this present emergency and sup
= plying the growers and shippers will
10 information as fast as available, on
main work has been and is the contro
:. of the insects in the field. The problem
- as eventually solved will result in tn,
production of clean fruit and its con
n sequent fumigation will come down {,
= precautionary measure only.
y Another important problem will b,
the control of pineapple rot and tn,
= relation of insect control to the same
,' 1t is believed that the presence of in
!. sects on the pineapples is responsible
~ in large degree for the spread of tn
- disease. Insect control, therefore, be
" comes problem of primary importanc
"a to the shippers of pineapples, entrel,
~ regardless of the attitude of California
~ toward the introduction of noxious in
III sects into their orchards. While in Sal
Francisco, Mr.. Higgins will confer wit
- the authorities of the California Stat
ne Board of Horticulture regarding the dill
40 ticulties which have arisen in the cas-
- of some shipments of late
- The Hawaiian pineapple people shoul
y, get together on shipping a uniforml
~ clean product, and further, must be reI
~ resented in the mainland markets b
49, men who can act promptly at clos
range, refumigate and t-ansship fruit
:. or take such other measures as tn
~ emergency demands. Such action ear
w. not be taken by individual shipper
a 1000 miles from the scene of tn
% trouble.
-, na One of the objects of the experiment