THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 231 



the soil and part of it as a covering to keep off the sun's rays during 

 the time the severed bunch remains in the field. When the bunches 

 of bananas are carried to the packing shed the foliage is left on the 

 ground in the field until thoroughly dry. It is then gathered and 

 stacked at the packing shed if intended for use as Avrappers. I do not 

 think any forms of coccids that may have infested the living plants 

 are alive or present at the time it is used for wrappers, and I was 

 unable to detect any other features that would cause the use of banana 

 leaves as wrappers to be considered objectionable. 



When rice straw is used as wrapping material the straw is found 

 in large compact stacks adjacent to the packing sheds, where it had 

 been piled upon receipt from the threshing machines at harvest time. 

 In no instance did I see any freshly cut straw being used, or any trees 

 carrying host fruits of the Mediterranean fruit-fly overhanging or in- 

 the immediate vicinity of these straw stacks. 



Conditions at packing-houses. 



The packing-houses in all of the districts are sheds with two or 

 more sides open, often merely a roof. During my stay in the island 

 I visited the following packing sheds and witnessed the methods 

 employed in preparing the bunches of bananas for inspection : 3 sheds 

 at Moanalua, 5 at Waikiki. 4 at Kawauhapia, 5 at Mokuleia, 3 at Puu 

 Ki, and 1 at Kalouau. 



The cut bunches of bananas are carried in the usual Chinese manner 

 from the field to the shed. Each bunch is hung up at a convenient 

 height and a Chinaman with a specially constructed knife removes all 

 the yellow, split or broken, or decayed bananas from the bunch. 

 Following this preliminary preparation, different methods are em- 

 ployed at different sheds to remove all broken leaves, debris, or other 

 foreign matter between the bananas in each hand and from 

 around the main stem. At some sheds the bunches are washed entire, 

 at others each banana is wiped Avith a cloth, while in some instances 

 brushes of various designs are used. 



At all packing sheds the preparation of the cut bunches of bananas 

 for inspection is very painstaking, almost beyond credence until actu- 

 ally observed, and probably could not be maintained with any class 

 of growers other than Chinese. 



System and basis of inspection. 



The bunches of bananas comprising each shipment are prepared by 

 the grower and placed in a shed for inspection at fixed times. 



Each bunch of bananas is handled and inspected individually by a 

 Federal officer. The number passed are counted and inspection tags 

 corresponding to the number are issued at the time to the shipper. 



Upon inspection the finding of any bunch failing to comply with 

 prescribed regulations disqualifies that bunch for export. This is con- 

 summated as follows : Each commercial buyer employs an expert who 

 inspects the plantation and marks upon the stem of each bunch of 

 bananas that he considers in a fit condition for marketing the brand 

 of his employer with a sharp steel instrument. This brand must be 

 present when the bunch is finally offered for shipment. In case of 

 a bunch of bananas being disqualified for cause by the Federal 



3 — 11030 



