201 



steamers from Central America we may safely predict that an 

 entirely new lot of insects will be brought here, and that the duties 

 of inspectors will become still more onerous. Many of these in- 

 sects will be particularly dangerous, because we know that species 

 from the warmer parts of the American continent readily become 

 established and thrive here, whereas the native insects of Cali- 

 fornia, though they have often been brought here, generally fail 

 to establish themselves. This climate is evidently not suited to 

 them. Although cane is no longer imported into the islands, yet 

 many bad cane pests are by no means restricted to cane, but may 

 easily be brought with other plants. It is well known that steamers 

 have put in here from Fiji carrying cane on board, from which 

 insects might easily have escaped to the shore, although such cane 

 is not landed. It is also known that both on cane and on other 

 plants, carried on deck, insect pests are frequently numerous. Mr. 

 Muir has observed this to be the case with sugar cane carried on 

 deck from Fiji, and Mr. Koebele and myself noticed great quan- 

 tities of fruit fly maggots dropping from fruit carried on the deck 

 of steamers, when we were traveling along the Australian coast. 

 These fruit-fly maggots were crawling into cracks of the deck 

 and pupating there, and some would certainly be likely to hatch 

 out and gain the shore at other ports. Quick traveling steamers 

 may carry even mature insects an enormous distance, so that they 

 reach new countries by flight, when in or near port. Mosquitoes 

 were still seen on board the ship on my last journey to San Fran- 

 cisco, five days after leaving Honolulu. On another journey num- 

 bers of a Chinese moth were seen about the decks the whole way 

 to San Francisco. It would be very difficult and probably im- 

 practicable to keep such things from becoming established in a 

 country suitable to them. 



FREE LITERATURE ON PINEAPPLE CULTIVATION. 



There is a great demand for pineapples in the world, and on 

 account of the keeping qualities of the fruit the advantage in 

 transportation is important. When cut at the proper time and 

 carefully handled the fruit will reach the United States and Eu- 

 ropean markets in good condition. 



In our country the proper soil conditions for this cultivation 

 can be found, and our proximity to the large American markets 

 assure the cultivation of this aromatic fruit a profitable invest- 

 ment. 



The General Department of Agriculture has recently published 

 an excellent bulletin which treats on the "Cultivation of Pine- 

 apples in Porto Rico," written by the horticulturist of the agri- 

 cultural experiment station on said island. This bulletin is for 

 free distribution and can be had by addressing General Agricul- 

 tural Department. — Rcvicn' of Tropical Agriculture (Mexico;. 



