228 



THE AGRICULTl'RAL NEWS 



July 25, 1908 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



PINE-APPLE CANNING INDUSTRY IN 



THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



The raising of fnut for export to Californi;i and 

 the mainland generally is rapidly becoming an impor- 

 tant industry in the Hawaiian Islands. Returns relat- 

 ing to the trade of the Territory show that the value 

 of the e.x'ports of fruits and nuts during 1900-7 increased 

 by nearly £20,000 as compared with those of the 

 previous year, and this advance is mainly accounted for 

 by the increased shipments of canned pine-apples. The 

 following notes on the progress of the pine canning 

 industry of the territory are e.\traeted from the latest 

 report of the British Consul at Honolulu: — 



Pine-apples were fir.st grown in tlic Hawaiian IsIaiifLs ui 

 1890, near Pearl Harbour, with the object of shipping the 

 green fruit to the mainland. Owing to the unsatisfactory 

 .steamer service, however, the project was not a sueces.s, and 

 it was not until 1899 tb:it the systematic raising of pine- 

 apples was begun at Wahiawa. The summer of 1901 saw 

 the starting of the enterprise oil a large scale by the Hawaiian 

 Pine-apple t'ompany, and two years later this company pro- 

 duced 1,1^00 ca.ses. of canned pine-apples. (The standard ca.se 

 contains 24 cans, each of which are 4 J inches high by 4 inches 

 in diameter.) The company's output continued to grow 

 steadily, being 8,-500 in 1904," 2.5,000 cases in 190.5, .•i(;,000 

 cases in 1906, and 103,000 cases in 1907. 



In the last-named year the canning factory was removed 

 to Honolulu, wliere already large extensions are being made 

 to meet the rec|uirements of the increasing demand for the 

 company's products. The pine-ajjples are brought by rail from 

 "Waliiifiwa in uncovered bo.xes, packed on open cars, to the 

 company's siding alongside the factory. Throughout the 

 j)rocesses of peeling, slicing, packing in cans, etc., the fruit is 

 never touched by the human hand ; all the working people 

 employed in those departments wearing india-rubber gloves. 

 The .syru]) j)ut into the cans is made from refined sugai-, and 

 thronghnut the preparation of'thc goods every care is taken 

 to ))rovi(le an article of the highest quality. There are now, 

 in addition to the above-named conuiany, seven others 

 engaged in the industry, the total outimt of the islands in 

 1907 having been 190,000 cases, valued at £120,000. The 

 estimated outjKit for 1908 is . "550, 000 cases, of a value of 

 £220,000. The market for these goods is almost entirely 

 in the United .States, as the high cost of labour nulitates 

 against successful competition with the Singapore caiuicd 

 pine-apple. Rome small shipments have, however, been made 

 to the I'uited Kingdom, and, owing to their superior Havour, 



have met with a favdurablc receiition in spite of the fact that 

 the Hawaiian ai'tielc is double the price of the Singapore one. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCE AT THE 

 COLONIAL FRUIT SHOW. 



The Royal Horticultural Society held a show of 

 Colonial fruit and other produce in London on June 11 

 and 12 last. A prominent feature in the exhibition 

 was the magnificent display of limes sent by the 

 Permanent E.xhibition Committee of Dominica, to 

 which a silver-gilt Knightian medal was awarded. 

 Many iii<!ividual exhibits were also sent fiom Dominica, 

 and among these, that of the Dominica Fruit Growers' 

 As.sociation was adjudge(i the best, and was awarded 

 a silver Banksian modal, bronze Baidcsian medals being 

 awarded to the Hon. J. Cox-Fillan and Mr. A. D. 

 Riviere. '■ 



The gold mecl41 of the Koyal Horticultural Society was 

 given to tile West; Indian Produce Association for their 

 splendid collection of West Indian connnodities, which included 

 fresh fruit, preserved cigars, jippi-j'ap])a hats, etc. 



The managemenit of the e.vhibit.s sent in from ])on)inica 

 was undertaken b^'the AVest India t'onuuittee, and the 

 illustratioli which appeared in the West Indin Committee 

 Cirndni- of June 23|last testifies to the skill and taste shown 

 in displaying the procluce in an attractive manner. In order 

 to give visitors ai^'opportunity of testing the merits of 

 llominica limes, a [con.siderable <juantity of the fruit -was 

 distributeil among t^ose jircscnt, an<l lime squashes were also 

 dispensed. 



The fruit renudning over at the clo.se of the exhibition 

 was utilized with t|ie object of making this product mo^e 

 widely known, and niarly a hundred jiackages were despatched 

 to notable per.sons, lUid to ho.spitals and other institutions. 

 West Indian limes fare becoming more' widely known in 

 luigland every year, fand as jKiinteil out by the U'etst Indian 

 Commitlce Cirridiir,-th(i British market can take any quantifj- 

 of produce from these colonics, i)rovided it is well prepared 

 and put up, and that a constant suiiply can be maintained. 



The next t'nloninl Fruit Show will be held in London on 

 November 2(! and 27, and since really fine collections of 

 West Indian produce will be available at that time, it is hoped 

 that the Permanent d'lxhibition Committees throughout the 

 islands will make an effort to be well repre^i-ntfd at the 

 exhibition. 



