The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-05-03
THE BANANA TRADE.
Something about a Curious Branch OF
Business,
From the New York World.

Something about a Curious branch O.
Business,
From the New York World.
Of all the many trades in New York
the banana trade is perhaps the most
curious. 1t is in the hands of a single
house, to whose energy and enterprise
is due the present large importation of
the fruit. Ten or twelve years ago not
one-tiftleth part of the quantity now
consumed in this city was sent Rither.
and the cost of bananas was then quite
out OF the reach of the poorer classes.
Since that time the trade has been
gradually increasing until the present.
when its magnitude may be known by
the number of peddlers seen with
banana-loaded trucks daily parading
the city. The street corner stalls de-
rive their supply from the same
source as the travelling hucksters,
and the scene at Headquarters.
whence they obtain the fruit is pecu.
liarly interesting. Thither the small
buyers HE each morning to stock their
trucks and stalls, and of course as the
earlier arrivals snap up the choicer
fruit the competition becomes rather
keen and exciting. The markets. new.
er glutted, for the reason that the sup
ply is frequently inadequate to the de.
mand. By this means the hucksters
are enabled to always find ready pur-
chasers who are willing to pay highly
remunerative prices. The suburban
districts are fast becoming large con-
sumers of the banana, and an extensive
order from an outside source will not
unfrequently have the effect of bulline
the market, and causing the price to
New York consumers to be considerably
augmented In this case late corners
at the importers downtown store will
find no fruit for sale, and therefore in.
| dulge IN days retirement from bus
mess. Although this ebay Off " results
IN a certain pecuniary loss to the ped.
Ter, the consequences are not so d1sas
tfous to his pocket as might at first
appear, 1nasmuch as the profits derived
from a fair days sale of bananas AMPLY
compensate him for his lost time
Many OF the smaller buyers take unto
themselves certain districts Up town.
| which they work assiduou6iy. The
housekeepers reserve their purchases
until their favorite banana man APP
pears, when they lay in a supply unit
| he again makes his accustomed round
| These pedlers, who can count on 6
number of regular customers, visit
their districts about once in every
three days, and the profits arising from
these sales is sufficient to keep then
and their families in moderately cas-,
circumstances. Some of the buck
sters regularly indulge in a couple o.
days hard drinking preparatory to
beginning the labors OF the week. Il
is not uncommon for travelling sales
man to return with his empty truck tc
the importers store at midday and
seek to replenish his supply. But by
this time all the choice fruit is dis
posed of, and ii is not at all certain
that he will find even inferior bananas
| offered for sale. The fruit is sold Oh
stocks, which contain from so to ~.
bananas. As many as eight, and scme
times ten, of these stocks are bough
daily by those peddlers who have GOOD
| districts to serve.
The firm which imports the fruit
hlther is composed of three brothers
one of whom supefintends their farm
at Aspinwall, whence the stock is ship
ped. Two of the brothers conduct tn
business In this city. They receiv
consiguments from Aspinwall by ever,
steamer. The fruit is put on boar(
without being packed, and being in
warm temperature ripens considerable
during the passage. For this reason
the stocks are plucked while the frui
is yet green. Thus in partially rip
condition the fruit arrives in the city
1t is then taken and hung in a room
artiticially heated. A temperature O
seventy five degrees brings 1T to matu
rity in a very short time The banana
are sorted, and those nearly ripe ere, 0
course, placed i'll a cooler atmosphere
By this means the fruit can be ripenet
for any days market Tomorrow
fruit 5 now fast becoming bright vel
low, and tomorrow morning, when i
is exposed for sale it will be IN perfec
condition. The banana, before it find
its way to the retail purchaser, ha
been subjected to eight different tenn
Deratures. It IS of two varieties, bu
the fruit differs slightly. That which
is most sought after, however, is called
n1usa par0disi0co, and the fruit of i
is a little shorter, straighter, rounder
and of more luscious flavor than tn,
other. The name of this spcies is derived
from conceit OF the Oriental Chris
tians who fancied it to be forbidden
fruit in the Garden of Eden. 1t i
affirmed by travellers that the banan:
alone would have been sufficient for al
the necessities of the first man. TIL,
taste for cooked bananas is on the in
crease. The fruit requires to b,
peeled, cut into slices and fried. IT.
flavor then is said by connoisseurs t.
be far superior to that of the uncookec
article.