170 THE BANANA 



over closely nested brine piping, thereby cooling and 

 drying it, and returning it through the delivery trunks on 

 the opposite side. The cooler pipes are electrically welded 

 into grid form, there being no screwed joints except those 

 on the headers, the brine flow being regulated by valves 

 controlling a number of separate groups of grids. The 

 cooling surface is properly proportioned to the work to be 

 done, and the cooler with its fans is completely insulated. 

 Ventilators are provided, enabling the air in the fruit 

 spaces to be changed in as few minutes as may be found 

 desirable from time to time, the fresh air passing through 

 the cooler before reaching the fruit, and the vitiated air 

 being discharged to the atmosphere. The brine is cooled 

 by a large horizontal duplex CO S machine of J. and E. 

 Hall's standard design, with compound surface condensing 

 steam engine, the CO 2 condenser coils (of copper) being 

 contained in the base, and the evaporator coils in a 

 separate D-shaped casing, the two halves of the machine 

 combining two complete units capable of independent 

 working, the steam connexions enabling either cylinder 

 to be worked as a simple engine with the halves of the 

 crank-shaft disconnected. The brine pumps are of the 

 vertical duplex type, two in number, either one capable of 

 performing the full duty in emergency. 



The machines and fans are run during the last day or so 

 of the outward voyage to cool down the spaces in readiness 

 to receive the fruit. Stowage is rapid, owing to the use of 

 power-driven conveyers, and discharge even more rapid, 

 some of the fruit in the square of the hatches being stowed 

 in special cribs, which are lifted out by the ship's derricks 

 immediately the hatches are off, leaving space for the 

 discharging elevators, which are promptly lowered into 

 position. During the first two days of the homeward 

 voyage the plant is run continuously to extract the sun 

 heat from the fruit and to retard ripening. The condition 

 of the fruit is kept under close observation, temperatures 

 being taken at regular intervals day and night, the captain, 

 assisted by the ship's officers all carefully trained men 



