Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-01
Fruits from the Tropics.

York the other day, and came home with
his hands full of bananas.
What beauties - 1 exclaimed, as we
turned back the thick skins and tasted
the rich fruit; "where did you get
them ?"
directly from the vessel" lie answer
ed. "They are as fresh as they can be
bought in this latitude"
How came you to 60 to the ship?
asked mother.
Why, you see" said he," I had finish
ed my business and was sauntering up
Broadway, thinking how 1 might best
spend the time before the afternoon train
would leave, when 1 met Charley Wade
on his way to visit a number of ships that
had just arrived. to get material for a re-
port on the fruit trade for the newspaper
with which he is connected, and he asked
me to 60 with him."
"Well, what did you see?" asked.
"More fruit than ever expect to see
again, at one time," he answered.
There was aship filed with these ba-
nanas alone, to say nothing Of those con-
tainlpg oranges, lemons, pineapples, a nd
other kinds of fruit. [ wish, Mary" he
added, turning to me, "that you could
have seen that cargo of bananas before
the unloading began. 1t was a pretty
sight. The punches were placed upright
upon raised boards, and many were stored
in cribs upon the deck. But though the
utmost care is used, the losses in the fruit
are enormous, though not as great as in
pineappels. But you cannot guess what
they use for ballast in banana ship"
"Stones," said Harry.
Dirt" suggested Annie.
Cocoanuts," said |.
"Ah, ha " cried Ned. "aow came
you to think of that ?"
" don't know" | answered. 81 must
have heard it sometime. Is it right :"
Yes; was astonshed enough when
found that the bottom of the ship was lin
ed with cocoanuts. But Mr.. Bostwick,
the fruit inspector of the port, told me
that they made the vessel heavy enough to
sail well, and we're better than any other
ballast because. when they reached here,
they would sell for enough to pay for their
transportation
| But. Uncle Ned" put in Susie. " VII y
do they want to make the ship heavy 2
| should think the lighter she was the bet
ter she would sail"
"No, indeed" he replied. The light
er the top of a ship is the better; but
there must be weight enough, in the hold,
to keep her steady A vessel that is
too light at the bottom rolls and pitches
fearfuly, and it even in danger of capsiz-
lug IN heavy sea-
Where did this shipload come from p
| asked.
| From Baracoa. in Cuba" he replied.
&c Almost all our bananas come from there
Harry brought the atlas. and opening it
to the map OF the West Indies, Ned point
ed out the town, near the eastern extremity
of the Island.
Il have read or heard" said l, 8. that
there are more tropical fru is received in
the port of New York than in any other
place"
THAT is undoubtedly true" said Ned
" The amount consumed in the city itself
is greater than in London or Paris, and it
is also the port through which a vast tract
of country is supplied. From New York
the fruit can be transported in safety
hundreds of miles in few hours. Many
firms are entirely engaged in reshippine
West Indian fruits"
i "Uncle Ned" said Annie, "you said
that pineapples spoiled more than bananas
on the voyage. Why is that? They are
so much harder that should think they
would keep better"
Il do not KNOW" he replied. I" but it is
fact. If a vessel loaded with pineappes
comes in with three fourths of her cargo
|, fit for market, the owners think she has
made good voyage. Sometimes the carge
is almost a total loss. Mr.. Bostwick told
me that not long ago vessel came in
with $4,000 pine apples, of which 46,8O0
were spoiled. s,The voyages need not be
long for the losses to be heavy. If the
weather is bad, SO that the matches have te
be kept shut, the fruit is almost sure to
!, be ruined. Thunder showers are especial
, ly destructive. One time vessel came
: up to Sandy Hook with cargo in fine con.
dltion but she was detained by the quar-.
antne officers few hours, and while she
was waiting, severe shower burst, and
her cargo was almost entirely ruined"
J. "Why, Uncle Ned! What spoiled it >
cried Susie.
]. What soured the milk yesterday :"
said he. " 1t was sweet before the thun-
der shower and sour after it. Don't you
remember we had none for tea? l cannot
, tell you why it was spoiled any more than
why magnet attracts steel but both We
know to be facts.'
"How many pineapples are imported il
a year, Ned 2" asked mother.
"In 1872 there were about 1900, 600
brought to New York." he replied.
3 How is it about cocoanuts %
, "Of them there were about 5000. 900,
one fifth Of which spoiled before reaching
. here. They come mainly from BAracoa,
: though some are sent from other parts Of
: the West Indies, aud few from Central
: America"
I. "How many oranges and lemons do yot
suppose are brought to New York in .
year. asked mother.
i" do not know" replied Ned, but th,
number must be enormous In 1872 th,
amount imported was valued at something
f more than $4,000, 900.
Q Does that include those brought fror
2 our Southern states?" asked.
. sNo," he answered +" The amount son
! North from Florida and louisiana has nc
d much effect upon the market rs yet, s
though it no doubt soon will, some lsrg
L.