The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-11-26
WHYDOP|NEAPPlES
ROT IN Shipment?
Ten Years investigation Of Sub
~ iect Has Shown Way To
..F. Avoid Losses
II Shippers Will Follow Advice OF
the Experiment Station
Experts

In n recent number of Phytopath
ology, Adeline Ames gives the results
Of experiments in the control Of various
fruit rots by heat. Among others, the
black rot of the pineapple (Thielaviop.
sis paradoxa), the parasitic fungus
that causes heavy losses of fresh fruit
p during shipment, was investigated.
Miss Ames found that the pineapple
rot fungus grows best at 50 degrees
Fahrenheit and is killed when heated
above 1877 degrees. When the tempera.
ture was reduced to Al degrees Fahren-
heit growth ceased. Miss Ames states
in her conclusions that if pineapples
arc to be shipped in refrigeration the
temperature should be kept as near
freezing point as possible If the devel-
Opment of the rot fungus is to be-
avoided.
So far as known no experiments have
ever been made to preserve fresh pine
apples by heating them to, say, 1873 de-
grces Fahrenheit before shipment, nor
is it not known what effect such pre-.
heating would have on the quality and
flavor of the fruit.
What Larsen Proved
l.. ID. Larsen, of the Hawaiian Sugar
Planters Experiment Station stat,
made very thorough studies of the
Thielaviopsis rot of Pineapples and
cane, the results of which were pub,
lished as bulletin No. 10, in 1910. lie
found that Sunshine is controlling
factor. Bright sunlight kills the spores
and vegetative body of the fungus in a
very few hours.
Hence, pineapples shipped in summer
are less liable to rot in transit to mar
ket than fruit which has ripcned or is
prepared for shipment during the cold
rainy autumnal and winter months.
This deterrant influence of sunshine on
the growth Of the fungus is probably
the true explanation Of heavy winter
losses as compared with light summer
losses of fresh fruit shipped to San
Francisco.
Careful Handling Nee essary
Larsen found that infection of the
growing pineapple fruit is usually from
the root. Hence, careful inspection of
the cut stalk end of the pineapple and
the rejection in the field of all fruits
that show blackening or discoloratiOn
at the base would be a precaution to
he observed He also found that in foe.
finn of fruits Will, in tho cratos dnr;ng
sbinmeut is nsualIv from hrnisos orG
scratches Hence Grooter .aro - bo,.
ding the mines from FIELD to cratic viii
helm RI nrevpnt Iossos fran .oft rot
Another cansc If nincnnnIcs rnttiu,
in tr.,,sit 10 mo;st,ro In !. or.or, =. ~
neriments bo found be cnrIL ;nnn,mIoto
nerfoctIv ao,,S ,,;,o,,,,Io, ~
Them with water containinG gnrt rn1
snorps and tbcn boILipn thaw IN a
moist atmospbcrc This mcthoJ of in
faction WAS effective With hnth rrnrn
md rino frn;to
Profeasor HIGGINS, Recommendation
In buIletin h IA of the Laval Ex.
pertinent Station. J. Edpar Higgins rec.
ommcnds fumipating the rinrannlcs he.
fore shinmcnt with formaILrhyd, gos
Other precautions which no fomnd len.
efcial TO adopt were cutting thr fruit
with lone stems in n'aro of tho n.u,I
short ones. cuttinU tbc frnit tracts nt
some distance from tho stem instead
nf nuII;ng' thcm or. u,ran,;n,, thn ~
yiduaI frnits in uaner. AMI rsin, rice
straw for hacking material in npefcr.
ence to excelsior,
Mr.. Higgins has been INVESTIGATING
methods from SHINING fresh nineanpIos
for the last ten wears. and his recon-.
mendations are worth adnntiny Tho
Hawaii Experiment Station has made
MANY experiments in SHINING pines nm.
der VARYING conditions aboard shin,
Mr., Higgins having accompaniciI many
SHIPMENTS between here and San Fran
cisco TO make temperature and moisture
determinations. Ventilation has hoen