The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-02-29
MAY LIFT EMBARGO
J. ON ISLAND fruits
When More Is Known About
Effect Of Cold On
Fruit-fIy

the Hawaii experiment station and the
entOmologists Of the federal quaran-
tine service that the Mediterranean
fruit fly cannot Withstand cold, it
would seem that the way is open to
again create an export fruit, business,
Cold storage of food products has be
come common commercial practise the
world over. Since the very complete
! demonstrations of what can be with
temperate zone fruits, there is no ques-
ton as 10 the wide field open to trop-
zeal fruits as well, in the great main
land markets. Cold storage of fruits
IS no longer regarded as experimental
Pacific Coast competitors are hard at
work creating demand for mangoes
and avocados. Large orchards Of both
I are being planted in the Imperial Val
ley in southern California, and in the
irrigated sections Of south western Ari.
zona. If the mainland hortieulturists
establish their market, and there Is
every probability of their doing so
there viii in time be demand for far
greater quantities than can be grown in
the limited areas there suited to really
"tropical" fruits. 49,,
Something May Come OF It &c..
This growing interest in tropical
fruits augurs well for Hawaiian fruit
farmers. If there Is an active market
demand for papaias, mangoes and ALI.
gator pears, and buyers seek additional
supplies, more than can be obtained
from mainland Orehardists, this will
lead to a saner quarantine policy.
The prohibition of all imports Of trop-
ical fruits and vegetables, other than
bananas and pineapples, Of Hawaiian
origin, was acquiesced in by the ship
pers without complaint at the time the
regulation was originally promulgated
II was generally believed at that time
the exclusion order was a just one
taking into full consideration the su
preme necessity of keeping the Medi-
terranean fruit-hy from gaining a foot
hold on the West Coast. Hawaii itself
maintains a stringent. quarantine
against insect pests, and no one here
cares to be instrumental in, sending
pests to other lands.
Fruit Fly Habits Known
But now that the life habits of tho
fly have been studied, and definite
methods for its control have been dem
onstrated, absolute quarantine of al
fruits which might become carriers Of
it no longer bears the stamp of reason
DR.. L. A. Back, the United States de
partment of agriculture, expert entOs
mologist who has devoted all of his
time for two and a half years to {
study of this pest declares that abso
lutte quarantine Of Hawaiian fruits is
no longer necessary now that it has
been demonstrated that cold-stOrage
temperatures are fatal to the fly. y
| Hence one more obstacle to the sue.
cess of the "small farmer" bids fair
to eventually disappear. Whenever
enough proof has been accumulated BY
the cold storage Of tropical fruits in
commercial quantities to show how long
storage is necessary to kill the fly, il
becomes simply a matter of official in.
spection and certifcation. Hawaii al
ready has the machinery by means OF
| which this can be done. The entomo.
logical quarantine bureau of the board
| of agriculture and forestry is known to
be one of the most efficient in the
world, and certificates issued by il
mean more than the average, more OF
less perfunetOry government certif,
cate
Further Experiments Suggested
Taking into account the increasing
interest in and growing market for trO
pical fruits, there is no line of work
which would more plainly meet popu
lar demand than "A series of demonstra
ton experiments to show what can be
done in this field. 1t requires from
four to seven years to get orchards OF
the finer commercial varieties of ALI
gator pears and scedless mangoes to full
bearing. In the meantime, cold storage
demonstration work should be under
taken, under careful scientific control
Ii is certainly worth while, anC
whatever one of the government agri
cultural bureaus does il will merit pub
lie approval, if the work is well done
By the end of another four years, OF
at the time when orchards set out THU
year begin to bear, there would be al
accumulated mass of known facts gov
ering the effect of cold on the eating
quality of the fruits Hawaii would hav,
ready to ship, which would be simplJ
invaluable to the "small farmers.
Great Opportunity
, Investigations of this SOFT, whicl
have an immediate bearing on tn
broader commercial development of Ha
waii, are worth undertaking. Tourist
who visit the Islands almost invariabl
want to know why they can not bu!
Hawaiian fruits on the mainland.
is not especially to anyOnes credit h
, have to acknowledge that Hawaiian
fruits might go to that market IL grow
ers and shippers would only take tn
/ trouble to apply known remedies
remedies which the United States gov
, eminent has worked out for Hawaii
I own benefit.
Doctor Back : demonstration of tn
, deterrent effect Of tow temperatures o
j the Mediterranean fruthy is one O
the most suggestive discoveries eve
made here. 1t is distinctly up to HI
wall to 90 farther and make use Q
4 kL,1