The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-12

The plan of fumigatlng plheappies
before shipping them to San Francisco
instead of having them fumigated al
ter their arrival there, is not working
out as satisfactorily to the pineapple
growers as it was expected, or at least
as it was hoped it would.
Several shippers by the last Alameda
received notice that some of their ship
ment had been rejected because the
fumigation here had not completely de-
stroyed all insects.
In the past all pineapples were fuml-
gated after arrival in San Francisco,
for which a charge of five cents
crate was made. The pineapple grow
ers made no objection to the charge.
But a few months ago there was
change in the personnel of the Board
of Horticulture of California, and OBJ
lection began to be made to fumigating
the fruit there. At the same time the
board would not agree to accept the
certifcation of any official or other
person here as to the effectiveness of
fumigation before shipment. The re-
suit was that shippers, fumigating ac-
cording to the formula given them,
never know whether their fumigation
is going TO be accepted as sufficient at
San Francisco. Even this would not
be insuperable if pineapples found in
effectively funigated were fumigated
there as in the past, and the usual
charge made for it.
letters on the subject received by ship
pers by the Alameda, that this is not
to be done; that pineapples found in,
effectively fumigated on their arrival
at San Francisco, are to be rejected,
and not to be fumigated by the Board
of Horticulture, nor to be allowed to
be fumigated there by agents of the
shippers. Instead they are to be re-
jected, and turned back to the trans
portation company to be reshipped to
Honolulu. Of course this would mean
the payment of freight both ways on
fruit that would be worthless when it
got back here.
W. b. Thomas one of the Wahiawa
growers said in regard to the matter
that he had received a letter bv the
Alameda indicating that a part of one
of his shipments had been rejected. 1t
was not sent back by the Alameda, but
presumably it has either been DESTROYED
or is held for shipment back by the
next Alameda. +
1.-The first shipment I fumigated
here said Mr.. Thomas. latter the
new order was put in vogue, was com,
plimented by Mr.. Ehrhorn. the inspec
tor, for the effectiveness of the work.
Every shipment since then has been
fumigated in exactly the same way and
according to the very same formula.
/ have an agent who receives nv pine.
apple shipments there, and my instruc
tions to him are 10 refumigate anv pine
apples that are rejected. if permitted
There have been none rejected before.
and have not heard from him whether
he was permitted to refumigate these
Or not.
1.-The impression seems to have been
created in some quarters that permis.
sion to fumigate our pineapples here
before shipment is a concession to the
Hawaiian pineapple growers. However.
do not think this is so. For many
reasons I think it was more satisfac.
tory for the fumigation to be done
here, and by and under the direction
If the Board of Horticulture. The rea.
ION for having it done here. as I was
siven to understand, was that the Board .
+ Horticulture had got tired of doing .
t. Tt can be readily understood that :
+ there is no way to refumigate pine
pples that have been rejected. but thev
must become loss. it VIII seriously
fleet the growers. I do not fully IN .
erstand vet whether there IS no way .
o secure refumigation or not. but the :
enor of the letter I received seemed
0 indicate that there was not.''
Within the past few months there
las been complete reversal of policy l..
number of respects in the CaIifor- .
IA State Board of Horticulture. For :