The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-06-23
COLD STORAGE.
DESTROYS
FRUIT FLY

opening OF mainland Markets
TO Island Fruits Now Barred
Because of Destructive Pest.
Cold kills the Mediterranean fruit hy.
This discovery, which bids fair to be
of immense commercial importance TO
Hawaiian fruit growers, has been de.
termined as result Of series Of cold
storage experiments conducted by the
Hawaii experiment station.
Dt. Il. v. Wilcox, director Of the
Hawaii experiment statiJn, seated yes
terday that a series Of experiments
have Eeen in progress for several
months at the new storage warehouses
Of the Hawaiian Electric Company
Doctor Wilcox has tried out the effect
Of temperatures from thrty-two to
thirty,eight degrees Fahrenheit on ripe
figs, papaias, avocadocs strawberry
guavas, stafapples, mangoes, water
lemons and plnchpples in relation to
the behavior Of the Fruit and the effect
OF reduced temperatures on the Modi-
terranoan fruit fly.
Uniform Temperatures Maintained.
Uniform temperatures have been
maintained In eaen OF the cold storage
chambers whore the experiments were
| conducted, as shown by the records Of
electrical thermographs in each cham
| Der,
First, as to the effect of cold ON the
| fruit fly, the pest whose presence in
4 kas ln.l -. "a.
eral regulations excluding all Hawa-
ian fruits except pineapples and ba-
nanas from the mainland markets. Tho
experiment station has proved by re-
peated tests that all forms of the fly
-the adult insect, the maggots and the
cggs-are killed by temperature OF
thirty.two degrees Fahrenheit main
tanned for period of ten days.
Plan Suggested.
This discovery points to the proha
bility that large variety Of Hawaiian
fruits now excluded from all but the
\ local markets can be shipped abroad
anu sold. 1T Will require some method
Of governmental certi1cation and con-.
troll, Doctor Wilcox said, to bring this
about, but the commercial possibility
Of cretting fruit industry at once
| appears. Official supervision merely
becomes detail to be arranged for
as minor part of the business. A
record would have to be kept of the
date of entry Of the fruit into the ware
house and the temperatures at which
the fruit has been he'd. Then, after ten
days, or two weeks to be absolutely on
the safe side, an official certificate of
the United States department Of agri-
culture 3 inspector would admit the en-
trance Of this fruit into any market
within the range Of cold storage ship,
ment and delivery.
| Causes Fruit to Improve.
4 Doctor Wilcox stated that most of
the fruits with which he has expert,
mented show decided Improvement in
texture and favor as a result of keep
ing them at the thirty-two degree mark.
| This is in accord with the department
! of agriculture s tests on the refrigera.
ton Of apples, pears, plums and other
temperate zonc fruits. The same law
applies TO tropical fruits.
OF course tropical fruits that have
been refrigerated to kin fruit fly must
be shipped as well as held at the termi-
nal markets in cold storage, Doctor vii.
cox said. When Iemoved from the cold
chamber and exposed to normal air
temperatures tropical fruits ripen and
dcteriorate very quickly so that they
cannot be shipped to the Coast except
in the refrigerator rooms Of outgoing
vessels. All the ships that bring Coast
| fruits to this market can load return
cargo of Hawaiian fruit for the main
land markets. that is, of conrse when
the quarantine regulations have been
amended to permit it. .., -
Avocados Keep Longest.
Ayoeados viii keep for two months
Where tho fruits are sufficiently ripe
no change in flavor or texture occurs
II, however, the pears are under-ripe
the pears spoil instead of ripening when
taken from storage. The texture of
green alligator pears that have been
refrigerated for two months is spongy
and tough and they have no taste or
favor. Doctor Wilcox said that the
whole problem with avocados will be
to get them exactly at the right stage
of ripeness.
lie said that the cold storage of
pears viii undoubtedly be taken up by
growers for the local market as well as
to ship TO the Coast, The discoveries
made by the experiment station as to
the improved methods Of handling this
fruit will serve in time to extend the
supply over several months where there
are usually no pears on the market. y
Water lemons kept month without
change in flavor or texture.
Improves Star Apple. .,f.
The star apple kept one month and
showed vast Improvement in flavor and
texture. II developed into d very lus,
cious fruit and one which will undoubt.
edly appeal to n large class of con
sumers II it is shipped to the mainland.
Pineapples, as has been often demon
strated in previous experiments, carry
in fine shape, Papaias were the only
fruits that did not stand the cold stor,
age very well. The trouble was a
physical one. The skin Of the papaia
is so thin and tender that every bruise
or scratch allows the milky juice of tho
fruit to ooze out aud the abrasion be-
comes source of infection for the
mould fungi which grow on foods cycu
at low temperatures, Where absolutely