44 

 TINNED PINE-APPLES IN JOHORE. 



The "Overland Times of Ceylon" gives some particulars about the 

 cost of tinning pme-apples in Johore afforded by Mr. Landau, parmer 

 in the French firm of Landau & Co. Mr. Landau was engaged in the 

 business in Johore for nine years. He has come to the conclusion that 

 a lucrative business can also be carried on in Ceylon, and hopes shortly 

 to launch out on this new venture. He gave our representative many 

 interesting facts about the industry. The Ceylon pineapple, he says, 

 is excellently adapted for preservation, just as is the Mauritius variety ; 

 and it is one of the best on the market. To start the business a very 

 large capital would not be required. It would be necessary, first of 

 all to secure the services of a man who knows the island thoroughly, 

 and who can get in touch with pineapple growers, so as to ensure a 

 cheap and plentiful supply for treatment. The machinery would not 

 be expensive. It should probably be all obtained for less than E, 1,000. 

 It would also be necessary to employ the services of a Chinese carpenter 

 to make the cases, which should be able to hold two dozen tins of pre- 

 served pineapples. The Sinhalese carpenter, says Mr. Landau, is far 

 too expensive, and moreover, while he makes only 10 cases a day, the 

 Chinaman has not done a good day's work unless he has made 50 

 cases. The Chinese carpenter is paid 12 dollars a month, or R15 ; the 

 Sinhalese carpenter wants 75 cents a day. 



Pineapples can be preserved either in th^ir own juice or in syrup. 

 The fruit is first of all placed in tins, which are sealed and then boiled. 

 By a patent process, Mr. Landau says, he is able to extract the heat 

 and steam from the tin. Otherwise the tin would burst. It is also 

 essential that the outside of the tins should be cooled, or else they be- 

 come rusty, and consequently the fruit is made unfit for consumption. 



Mr. Landau suggested a method which is in vogue in Java for 

 securing the services of natives who grow pineapples. A small sum of 

 money, say 200 dollars, is advanced to those who possess, perhaps 50 

 acres of land ; and a contract is made with them to deliver pineapples 

 for so many years at a certain fixed price, and, no matter what the 

 fluctuations, this price is maintained. It was important, he said, to 

 remember, that the pineapple plant bore fruit in 18 months, after 

 which time it required little attention. 



He feels confident that a lucrative business can be established here, 

 and quoted some statistics in support of this contention. A pineapple 

 tin would cost him about six cents. His brother at Johore is able to 

 turn out about 220 dozen tins of preserved pineapples a day in the 

 height of the season, or about 1,200 tins a day throughout the year. 

 His net profit is one dollar 20 cents, on each dozen cases. Mr. 

 Landau has calculated that he could clear a profit of HI* 83 on each 

 dozen tins of pineapple which he made in Colombo, and he expected 

 to make at least 50 dozen tins a day, which would bring him a profit 

 of say E.90 a day, or £1, 800 a year. 



Mr. Landau has tried his hand at preserving papaw, which, he 

 characterises as one of the most valuable fruits in existence. The 

 other day he made some papaw jelly. Out of a papaw 3 lbs. in weight 

 with a proportionate amount of sugar, he says three lbs. of papaw 

 jelly can be made. He also thinks of preserving ttie unripe papaw in 

 tins, and the jak fruit. 



