359 
wireless  to  release  the  shipment,  which  was  passed  here.  As  the 
Hawaiian  Mercantile  Company  wished  to  import  only  potatoes, 
onions  and  garlic,  Mr.  Elgin  was  given  instruction  in  our  methods 
of  inspecting  these  vegetables,  samples  of  diseased  potatoes  having 
been  also  sent  him. 
HILO  INSPECTION. 
Reporting  on  his  work  in  Hilo,  Bro.  Matthias  writes  as  fol- 
lows : 
'‘The  following  is  an  account  for  June  and  July.  There  were 
15  foreign  vessels,  160  lots  and  2,375  parcels.  All  were  allowed 
to  pass,  only  a few  plants  needed  treatment  on  account  of  insects. 
“Several  hundred  crates  of  pineapples  were  shipped  to  the 
coast  in  June.  The  pines  were  duly  and  successfully  fumigated 
here  in  Hilo.  I examined  the  pines  carefully  the  day  after,  and 
found  that  all  insects  on  them  were  dead.  Thousands  of  dead  in- 
sects were  found  on  the  floor  of  the  compartment  in  which  they 
were  fumigated.  I gave  a certificate  to  that  effect  which,  how- 
ever, was  ignored  by  the  inspectors  in  San  Francisco.  The  pine- 
apples were  again  fumigated  by  them  at  the  expense  of  the  ship- 
pers. The  charges  were  twenty-five  cents  per  crate,  but  finally 
came  down  fifteen  cents;  in  all  seventy-six  dollars,  which  was 
rather  hard  on  the  Hilo  men. 
“The  public  in  general  seem  to  have  strange  notions  as  regards 
the  inspection  work.  The  general  idea  seems  to  prevail  that 
everything  is  subjected  to  vigorous  fumigation  with  fire  and 
brimstone. 
“If  imported  seeds  do  not  sprout,  they  were  spoiled  by  the 
fumes;  if  fruits  do  not  taste  well,  it  is  for  the  same  reason;  if 
plants  come  dead  through  the  mail,  they  were  burned  by  the  fiery 
blast. 
“The  fact  is  that  fumigating  is  seldom  resorted  to. 
“During  my  three  years  work  in  Hilo,  many  thousand  boxes 
of  fruit  passed  the  inspection,  and  of  these,  only  thirty-seven  boxes 
were  fumigated, — twenty-five  boxes  of  apples,  ten  of  lemons,  and 
two  of  oranges. 
“Seeds  are  never  fumigated  for  if  they  are  infested  with  pests 
they  are  simply  destroyed  and  the  consignee  notified. 
“The  shippers  in  San  Francisco  are  rather  careful  in  selecting 
the  fruits  they  send  to  Hilo  for  they  know  that  they  have  to  pass 
inspection,  and  besides  the  importers  never  fail  to  remind  them 
of  the  fact. 
“Plants  and  vegetables  are  more  liable  to  have  injurious  insects 
on  them  and  in  consequence  have  to  be  fumigated  at  times. 
“No  heat,  however,  enters  into  the  affair  and  the  gas  used 
does  not  leave  evil  results. 
“I  have  fumigated  very  delicate  plants  and  flowers  just  for 
