39 



plant. It" so it is probably due to some especial insect which infests 

 the bases of the leaves of the crown and suckers. Infected pines can 

 be preserved, the decayed portion of the core being removed. 



Another common disease probably also due to a fungus is shown 

 by the pine being hard and woody and in section seen to be 

 streaked and spotted with brown or black lines and dots. This 

 disease is said to be due to the soil and only occurs in certain 

 fields. In this case most of the pines are infected and quite worth- 

 less and fruit known to be from a field attacked with this diseas 

 are not bought by the pine-preservers. 



" Male" pines (jantan) — The .Malays apply this name to pines 

 which never develop remaining small hard and woody, but not 

 showing any special signs of disease. They are in fact aborted. 

 The cause of this is at present obscure. 



A pine-apple disease in Natal is described by Dr SCHONLAND 

 in the Cape Agricultural Journal 189^, p. 293. This seems a serious 

 disease as about half the crop of one of the planters was destroyed 

 utterly by it. Its first appearance is shown by a drop of gum ex- 

 uding from the fruit. Underneath this spot the fruit begins to de- 

 cay. The decay continues through the fruit and it it i- not removed 

 go< s down to the root. The attack commences w hen the fruit is 

 very voung, and fruits over two inches long it not previously at- 

 tacked are safe. The cause of the disease is quite obscure at 

 present, but is possibly due lo some insect. If the diseased fruits 

 arc: removed and destroyed the plant remains uninjured. 



Tinning. 



The pines are here always peeled by hand, though machine; for 

 this purpose have been invented, as it is found more economical in 

 use hand labour here where it is cheap. The peelers are Chines*'.. 

 They cut the top and bottom off the pine and peel it with 1 knife., 

 holding the pine in the left hand which is covered with an india- 

 rubber glove, to protect it. from the acid action of the pine juice. 

 The gloves have constantly to be renewed as they are soon des- 

 troy< (I by use. The pines are then put in the tins which ate filled 

 up with either water or syrup. The cores are removed previously if 

 required by a tin tube which is pressed through the centre, but 

 most pines are tinned without coring. The syrup is made of 3 

 catties of sugar to one picul of water. After the pine is put in the tin 

 it is soldered up, and a number of tins are put on a kind of wooden 

 rait and plunged in a tank of water heated by steam. They are 

 boiled in this" tank for from ten minutes in the case of the smallest 

 tins to an hour and a half for large tins. The biggest tins weigh 

 five pounds when full. After removal from the boiling water a 

 puncture is made in the top of the tin with a hammer and punch, 

 and in large tins two punctures. This is to let out the steam, and after 

 this the holes made are re-soldered and the tins plunged again into 

 boiling water for nine minutes. They are then labelled and packed 

 lor export. 



