The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-06-16
BANANA IS IMMUNE .
FROM Fly ATTACK
And Department Of Agriculture
Experts Have Proved Why
:, That Is

Another contribution to our knowl.
edge of the life habits Of the Mediter.
ranenn fruit fly appears in the May
number of the journal Of Agricultural
Research, under the Joint authorship of
DIR. +. A. Back and G. +. Pemberton.
1t gives, in brief, the reasons why the
Chinese and Blucfclhs bananas can be
safely exported to the Pacific coast, ,
while the POpoulu and some other va
rietie8 are excluded under the official
embargo regulations hut plainly states
TINT these also may be exported if the
shippers observe the quarantine regula-
lions
'Since the Mediterranean fruit Nv
(Ceratitis eapitatn) has not been found
infesting the Chinese banana or the
Bluefeld banana during the three years
that the federal government has had
charge of the inspection Of export ban
anans in the Hawaiian islands, they
state. ait is evident that some reason
exists for this practical immunity. This
is the more apparent since adult flies of
both sexes have been found present in
all parts of banana plantations. and
surrounding fruits known to be hosts
have been heavily infested.
The Tannin Does It
This immunity is shown to be due
to the fact that neither the egg nor the
newly Matched larvae of the fruit fly
can survive in the tanniu-laden peel or
green though mature fruit. In fact,
the copious and sudden flow of sap
from egg-Tunctures made by fruit flies
in unripe bananas renders the success
full deposition Of eggs in such fruits
difficult and rardl
rThe fact that not one in lO44 fruits
of the Chinese banana ripening sinely
and prematurely among lunches grow
ing in the field, and upon which. as in
the case Of other host fruits, one might
expect gravid females to concentrate
their attentiOn for the purpose of owl
position, has been found to be infested
bananas are not desired as host fruits
lads TO the conclusion that even ripe
bv adult flies under Hawaiian condi-
tions.
con the other hand the renring of
hies from the ripe and yellow fruits of
the thin-skinned Popoulu variety, az
well as from ripe fruits other varieties
under forced and unnatural conditions,
leads to the equally acknowledged fact
that ripe bananas in the field may
serve as hosts and should therefore be
properly guarded against in all quaran-
tine work.
AL Bananas Safe
From the facts stated the writer's
believe that punches of any variety of
bananas now growing in the Hawaiian
Islands, when properly inspected for
the removal Of prematurely ripe,
cracked or partially decayed fruits,
oGer no danger as carriers of the Med
Iterranean fruit fly, provided they are
wrapped and shipped in accordance
with the demands Of the trade and of
the federal regulations"
IT will thus be apparent that the
United States department of agricul-
ture at Washington is still working in
behalf Of the banana planters and fruit
growers of Hawaii to the end that
every advantage may accrue, where
there ls no real danger of Hawaiian
products carrying dangerous pest to
the mainland. Few people not directly /
ngaged in the banana export trade are
aware of the extremely careful and |
inspection service the de
partment of agriculture maintains here. /
The bananas are inspected at the lit.
tie plantations where the fruit is grown
in order that if lunches are rejected
there will be the Least possible loss and
inconvenience to the producer. There
is nothing p"rfunctOry about the in
spection. If II small planter has five
punches # fruit to ship the govern.
ment Inspector is there on the ground
and in tin c for the farmer to catch che
steamer, even though it may cost Uncle
Sam a hundrcd times the value of tn,
shipment t" certify that this small lot
is clean. |