COOK islands pineapples

Mangaia, Sept. 2.

AT last the New Zealand Internal Marketing Division is awakening to the need for providing natives of the outer Cooks with a market for end of-the-year produce, such as local pine apples.

We are half-promised two steamers, between now and November; and large crops of local pineapples now ornament hillsides cleared of bush. (On this isle such sheltered, sloping places seem to give the best results with this fruit.) Mangaia pineapples are very strongly acid; perhaps this is due to the soil. The local product does not attain giant size; but it is a good table fruit, and should sell quite well in NZ.

By exporting it, rather than leaving it to be made into a dangerous local tipple, much good is expected—at least the islanders will have money for Christ mas spending.