230 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



has demonstrated clearlj^ to all concerned the futility of attempting 

 to control the Mediterranean fruit-fly or its ravages by the applica- 

 tion of mechanical means ; and further, that the money expended for 

 this purpose has not reduced the amount of infested material detected 

 upon its arrival at the mainland. 



EXPORT BANANA SITUATION. 



As a premise I wish to state clearly that I was much comforted — 

 immeasurably so— by the conditions I found governing the acceptance 

 for shipment of bananas from the various plantations on the Island of 

 Oahu. It is doubtful if full credence v^'^ould be given to a plain, simple 

 relation of the ordinary facts in the case as I found them. 



Grovirers and acreage. 



The banana crop destined for export to California is grown almost 

 exclusively by Chinese. There are a few but very rare exceptions in 

 which bananas are grown for export by Japanese and Hawaiians. 



It is very difficult to obtain even an approximate estimate of the 

 acreage, due to the irregularity of the small patches in some of the 

 districts, but in the aggregate 280,000 bunches of bananas are annually 

 sent from Honolulu to California. These are grown in eight districts 

 located in different parts of the Island of Oahu, and the methods of 

 cultivation are governed by the conditions obtaining in each different 

 locality. 



Present condition of plantations. 



I am unable to record what progress has been accomplished in the 

 matter of improving the general conditions of the banana plants in 

 the field, as having no knowledge of the original conditions existing 

 before clean-up work commenced, I have no standard of comparison 

 by which to .judge. In the Kahili district, however, I saw very plainly 

 the result of clean-up regulations. In this district the banana planta- 

 tions are numerous and of small individual area, and practically each 

 one, as well as the roadsides, are bordered or surrounded by a growth 

 of wild guava. As an additional condition of acceptance for shipment 

 of bananas from this district, each grower is required to cut and keep 

 cut the guava bushes bordering his individual patches of bananas, as 

 well as the guava bushes along the roads upon which he carries or 

 hauls the cut bunches of bananas. This rule is not enforced in any 

 hopes of reducing the number of flies present in the area contiguous to 

 the banana plants, but has been adopted and enforced as a matter of 

 assurance that infested guavas falling from the bushes will not roll 

 in among the banana leaves lying upon the ground and become asso- 

 ciated with the material that might be used for wrappers. Also, no 

 bananas are accepted even for inspection from fields in which coffee 

 trees are associated with the banana plants. Control of these regula- 

 tions is maintained by the use of certificates of inspection, which 

 govern acceptance for final shipment. 



Condition of v/rapping material. 



"When a bunch of bananas is cut the individual tree or plant is 

 destroyed. The foliage of the plant is first removed ; part of it is 

 used as a protection to prevent the bananas coming in contact with 



