( 7 ) 
and plunged into a rectangular tank of water heated 
by means of steam-coils. The tins are boiled in 
this tank for ten to fifteen minutes in the case of 
the smallest tins, and up to an hour for large tins, 
the biggest tins weighing 5 pounds when full. After 
removal from the boiling water a puncture is made 
in the top of the tin with a hammer and punch ; in 
large tins two punctures are made. This is done to 
allow the steam to escape; the holes are resoldered 
and the tins plunged again into boiling water for 
about nine minutes. They are then labelled and 
packed in boxes for export. 
The forms manufactured for export are (1) whole 
pines, (2) sliced pines, and (3) chunks or cubes. 
The most popular size is the \y% lb. tin, which is 
shipped in wooden cases containing 4 dozen tins. 
Machinery. The greater part of the machinery 
employed in the canning factories is 
necessary for the manufacture of tins, and consists 
of tin plate cutting machines, cover and bottom 
presses, and rolling machines for making the tins. 
The tin plate is imported from the United Kingdom 
and the tins made completely in the canning 
factories in Singapore. 
General. Owing to the main crop maturing 
in two comparatively short seasons 
during the year, the working of the factories is 
very irregular and it is necessary to employ much 
additional labour during the height of the fruiting 
seasons. The prices paid for pines are somewhat 
high at the beginning and end of the seasons, but 
they are, as a rule, so low during the height of the 
May/ June crop that the grower gets practically no 
profit. 
