The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-18

crop is about four times that of the
winter harvest. In the summer it is
that the canneries run day and night;
work up an average of from seven to
twenty car loads of the fresh fruit,
and turn out from fifteen to fifty
thousand cans in the twenty-four
hours.
1t takes from fifteen months to two
years for plants to produce their first
crop of fruit. They also produce from
two to eight shoots, or suckers, as
they are called, which spring up
around the apple when nearing ma
turity. These suckers are removed
and are used to renew or to extend
the plantation. They are almost as
valuable as the fruit itself, at pre-
sent selling for SIS to 500 a thou
sand.
The second crop, which is the finer,
natures in twelve months, and is
made by leaving two suckers (by
accident three) on the original stalk,
hence the second crop yields two or
possibly three apples to the stalk
! And so the process continues. Two
suckers are left each year on the orr
ginal stalk until at the end Of the sec
ond or third year, when the old roots
are usually plowed up. However we
saw some beautiful plants growing on
stalks years old; but some 5-year
old stalks looked exhausted and had
fallen beneath their small yield o.
inferior fruit and their abundance Of
suckers.
In the clearing, old roots with theii
suckers are saved, but are carefully
overlooked before being used Tor re
planting, as they are apt to become
rotten anf diseased Al disease
plants are burned.
Tops from the ripe fruit are also
used as plants 1t takes a little long
err for plants to mature when so pro
,pagated, but the fruit is equally as
large and good.
TOPLESS PINES.
The growers are constantly expert
menting and learning more and more
about pineapple culture. Their lates
experiment is to top fruit in infancy
Some claim, and with reason, tina
the top draws nourishment from tn,
| fruit and consequently the larger tn
top the larger the core. But the pee
lplG are not educated up to the poin
of topless pines in Honolulu. It de
tracts from their appearance. Besides
there is a risk in cutting too deeply
. thus affording an opening for bug
and pests. Insect pests, so far, hav
not seriously interfered with the bus
mess.
PACKING FOR SHIPMENT.
Although so per cent. of the pine
apples raised are canned, the fresl
fruit when shipped brings a bette
: price $3.50 ton at San Francisco
and but for the coastwise shippin
law and the poor provision made Of
American ships for carrying fres
, fruit, would be shipped in create
y abundance.
, When being prepared for shipmen
each pine is carefully wrapped I
straw, and packed in crates holdin
from twenty-five to thirty, accordin
: to weight. The average weight c
: these pines is about five pounds
g though it is not uncommon to sc
: large fields of them that would ave
age six or seven pounds, while som
may be found here and there weigl
o ing as high as from ten to twelv
i pounds each.
4 For shipping purposes they al
r pulled when green. Great care mus
@ be taken to reject any with a breal
e as the juice is apt to soften and sol
D the entire lot.
PRICE PAID FOR PINEAPPLES
d Pineapples bring from $25 to $50
p ton at the factories, and as an acl
If will produce anywhere from seven
p fifteen tons, no small sum is realize
q by the grower, although it is estima
5, ed that 1t costs about 800 per ac
q to defray the expenses incident
n cultivation, in addition to the origin
cost Of the plar is.
m CAriNERIES.
it Almist simultaneous with the su
v. cessful growth of pineapples, came
q les sprung up. There are now thr
e. pineapple cannehies in operation
er the fields of Wahiawa, and one