II.— THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND CANNED PINEAPPLES/' 



The work undertaken in connection with the investigation of the 



composition of fresh and canned pineapples consists of the analysis of 



(1) fresh pineapples from various sources; (2) canned pineapples which 



were put up under supervision of the consuls-general of the United 



States at Singapore and Nassau, and (3) commercial samples of canned 



pineapples. 



DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLES. 



Of the 38 samples of fresh pineapples examined, 21 were from 

 Florida, 10 from Cuba, 4 from Porto Rico, 2 from the Bahamas, and 1 

 from Jamaica. The Florida pineapples were largely obtained from 

 representative growers; the Cuban pineapples were nearly all pur- 

 chased on the market at Havana; the Porto Rican pineapples were 

 obtained from F. D. Gardner, director of the Porto Rican Experiment 

 Station; the Bahama samples were obtained on the market in New York; 

 and the sample from Jamaica was obtained in the Washington market. 

 So far as possible the samples obtained were the well-ripened fruit, 

 but in some cases they were shipped so far that it was not practicable 

 to use the thoroughly ripened fruit, but such as would stand shipment. 

 Samples 804 to 808 and 818 were secured early in the season, and were 

 very green. Their composition shows them to be of inferior quality, 

 and therefore they have been excluded from the averages for total 

 solids and for sugars. The first sample of fresh pineapples was 

 received March 4, 1902, the last sample September 26, 1902, and 

 samples were secured at varying intervals between these dates. 



Sixteen samples of canned pineapples were obtained from the consul- 

 general at Singapore. Of this number, 10 were put up in the normal 

 pressed juice of the pineapple without addition of cane sugar and 

 6 were put up in the expressed juice to which cane sugar had been 

 added. Two samples were obtained from the consul-general at 

 Nassau, preserved without addition of cane sugar. 



The 42 samples of commercial canned pineapples came from Singa- 

 pore, the Straits Settlements, and the Bahamas. 



METHODS OF ANALYSIS. 



The methods of analysis employed in this work were essentially 

 those given under "Fruits and Fruit Products, Provisional Methods 

 for the Analysis of Foods," Bulletin 65, Bureau of Chemistry. The 

 total solids were determined by drying in a water oven with asbestos 

 for twenty hours. Solids in the sirup were calculated from the spe- 

 cific gravity, using the table of H. Ellion. Reducing sugars were 



« This work was done by Mr. Munson and Mr. Tolman, and appeared in part in 



the Journal of the American Chemical Society in March, 1903. 



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