39 
plant. If so it is probably clue 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 
y e pine being hard and woody and in section seen to be 
streaked and spotted with brown or black lines and dots. This 
fieldfVn t0 ^ the soil and on ly 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 disease 
are not bought by the pine-preservers. 
” pi " es (jantan)— • The Malays apply this name to pines 
«luch never develop remaining small hard and woody, but not 
showing any special signs of disease. They are in fart aborted. 
1 lie cause of this is at present obscure. 
• Pj^ e - a Pple disease in Natal is described by Dr. Schoni \\in 
m the Cape Agricultural Journal 189s, p. 293. I his seems a serious 
rirsease as about hall the crop of one of the planters was destroyed 
utterly by it Its first appearance is shown by a drop of gum ex- 
uding rom the fruit. Underneath this spot the fruit begins to de- 
cay. I he decay continues through the fruit and if it T not remov 'd 
gra s down lo the root. The attack commences when the fruit is 
mTT Ung ’ a ? d f T? 0ver t"’° inches long if not previously at 
lacked are safe, Hie cause of the disease is quite obscure at 
|«< sent, but is possibly due to some insect. If the diseased fruit- 
• lie 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 to 
use hand labour here where it is cheap. The peelers are Chine*, 
I hey cut the top and bottom off the pine and peel it with a knife 
holding the pine in the lelt hand which is covered with an india’ 
rubber glove, to protect it from the acid action of the pine mice 
I he gloves have constantly to be renewed as they are soon des* 
troyed by use. The pines are then put in the tins which are 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 a 
catties ol 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 
ralt and plunged in a tank of water heated by steam. They un- 
boiled m this tank for from ten minutes in the case of the small, Ji 
ims to an hour and a half for large tins. The biggest tins weed 
five pounds when full. After removal from the boiling water- 
puncture is made in the top of the tin with a hammer and punch 
and m large tins two punctures. This is to let out the steam, and after 
this the holes made are re-soldered and the tins plunged a<xain into 
boiling water for nine minutes. They are then labelled and packed 
for export. ^ 
