141 



ROTS OF THE PINEAPPLE AS AFFECTING THE 

 TINNING OF THE FRUIT. 



Tlierc arc a iuiinl)cr of rots of tlic i)inca])i)lc lliat affect tlio 

 fruit ill such a way that it oftcu couies to the factory foi 

 tiuuiuo- iu a state that call.^ for special actiou. If the fruit 

 is attacked in one small part only an(f the rot is in its initial stages, 

 it may be possible to utilize the portion (jf the fruit not at- 

 tacked. Such fruits naturally will form a second-grade 

 product. 



Another cpiestion of impcjrtance in this connection is the 

 transition of the fruit from a ripe or healthy condition to the 

 rotted condition. This change may be of such a nature that 

 it is not easy to detect the early stashes of the rot. In such 

 cases there is danger that fruit in the incipient stages may find 

 its way into the first grade. In appearance it may be up to 

 grade, but the presence of the rot, though it may not affect 

 the appearance, does affect the Havor. The lack of boquet, 

 or it mav even be bad flavor, develops after the fruit has been 

 canned for some time, when the evil has spread from one or 

 two bad slices or places to the other parts of the tin. It i? 

 important for the consumer, as well as the packer, to know 

 the appearances that indicate an unsound tin of pineapple. 



It is usual CO speak of tinned pineapple of the kind as ''over 

 ripe." This is only another way of saying that it is infested 

 bv some fungus of microbe, — in the case of pineapples, prob- 

 ablv some fungus. 



The golden rule is to become familiar enough Avith the 

 appearance of first-class fruit to know it at sight, and to be 

 very suspicious of anything that has any other appearance. 

 This is possible for the packer and his employes, but it is not 

 an easy thing for the consumer, who, it may be, buys only 

 occasionally. The accompanying photograph shows the ap- 

 pearance of fruit of second quality or deleterious quality. 



EXAMINING PINEAPPLE THAT HAS BEEN CANNED. 



The examination naturally is directed tow^ard the isolation 

 of any fungus elements that may exist in the discolored areas. 

 At first the cellulose walls of the pineapple cells present ap- 

 pearances that need to become familiar to the observer. Then 

 the nuclei of the pineapple cells simulate or.eanisms in some 

 instances. The granules of the protoplasm also simulate mi- 

 crobes. After one has become familiar with the more or 

 less deceptive appearances he is readv to go on with the search 

 for the traces of deleterious organisms. 



