The Press., 1886-06-17
SCENES ON TROPICAL SHORES.

| good or bad; it is hewn down and cast not exactly into the fire, but upon the gronnds where it undergoes the process of combns- tion as effectually, if not as rapidly, as when cast into the fire. In other words banana tree upon producing bunch of fruit is cut down, for the tree will only bear one bunch of fruit.T Now bunch of bananas in Bocasde Toro brings the pro- ducers but fifty cents in Colombian silver, or forty cents in United States currency, delivered in the warehouse ready for ship ment. Looking at the above facts with | the eye of ignorance the cultivation. of bananas would not seem very profitable. The trees cut down when the fruit is in condition r Very extravagant one might say but as stated before, a banana tree never produces but one bunch of fruit therefore it is desirable as well aB neces- sary to cut'it down. But won the pro- cess of cutting down the trees deplete the plantation, for a time at least? :? one might ask? No; owing to the rapidity with which the suckers Gas the young trees are called) mature, in eight months after they are planted they have attsipe cd their growth and produced their bunch of bananas. I Now take for example 8 plantation of 10000 trees, what do we find? Why there are perhaps 500 punches of green fruit in con- | dition to cut at a time, therefore 500 trees are hewn .downa The remainder are bear ing fruit-some half grown, some less, and so on, down to the non- bearing suckers. l For every tree which IS cut down there are two or more suckers at its roots ready to take and more than fill it's place. These are transplanted or not, according to cir cumstances but in any case within eight months time they have produced their bunch of bananas. From these facts it will be been that banana plantation is never in a depleted condition, but in a etate of perennial fruitfulness A Abanana tree, or perhaps more properly speaking, banana plant, resembles 8 tobacco plant more closely than anything. else which can think of, inasmuch as the trunk of the banana tree is about the same consistency and texture as the stalk of the tobacco plant, and the leaves similar in shape but larger and more tropical-looking. But, af- ter all, the resemblance Is slight, for in Costa Rica the banana tree stands some 20 fleet high, with trunk abonts9 inches in diameter, and leaves from z to feet in length.
 When bunch of bananas is in condi- ton for shipment, the tree is cut and eased to the ground by placing ctotched stick at the junction of the trunk and the stalk of the bunch the stalk is then severed from the tree. l~s3t- EJ
 Bananas are shipped as 'bunches" and ''half punches A bunch of bananas must consist of eight hands. Anything less than eigh hands is called half bnnch. A ''hand" is one of the clusters of fruit which grows around the central stalk of the bunch. It will consist of from six to ten bananas therefore ten-hand bunch will average eighty bananas.
 An interesting picture IS presented just before the expected arrival of banana steamer at Bocas del Toro. A shipment of bananas from this place consists of the product of from fifteen to twenty small native plantations and from only five to six large plantations owned by foreigners. On the appointed day the canoes arrive from all points in the Chiriqui lagune with their cargoes of bananas, and padded by Span iards, Indians and negroes. They con centrate around the warehouse from which the steamer receives her cargo, and take their turn at unloading their fruit, and then are given their receipts. All this is done amidst a great deal of boisterous merriment particularly from the negroes. But was there ever gang of negroes gath cred together who were not noisy? On the other hand the Indians are very quiet and eedate. They await patiently their turn to unload their fruit, then go ashore and make few purchases, possible of cal ieo or beads, but probably of gin, to which they are as partial as their North American brothers.
 have seen occasionally some very pret- ty Indian girls. who have come t9 town during the banana shippng actiVity. They had very. handsome idsIks seyesI good features and long jet-black hair, sometimes worn loose over their shoulders and some times hanging in two long braids down the1r back. They had also fine forms, which their costumes rendered avisible to an extent which would be consid4 d4red i'm modest in s'the states" except wheh the Mother Hubbard is worn. Their costume consists simply of gown of some bright pattern, coming only to the knees, with no sleeves, and cut extremely decollete- low at the neck. I noticed that these dark skinned beauties were not allowed to sit idly i'll the canoes and enjoy the scene ry as they glided along while their elders did the padding no indeed; they each and everyone must take paddle and work her passage-and they are no meanpeF- formers in the art of canoe propulsion either. aa ssSR44s sggA,
 Coeoanuts abound along the shores. A cocoanut tree is thing of beauty and 8 joy forever. It is also 8 host in itself, for it will furnish the tfavelef blIelter from tbe rain and the heat of the tIdpiaa sun, whsh planted closely in cocoanut "walk, {" and also furnish him with meat and drink, and what moro can host do? If he be thirsty the tree stands ready to supply him with green nuts filled with deliciously sweet and refreshing drink. If he be hungry, the hospitable treeawil furnish him with riper nuts, containing rich, pulpy meat. Now the tree stands all ready to supply the traveller with these good things; but if he has no,Indian with him who can do some tall climbing, he is very apt to gpI without them. cocoanht tree begins to bear nuts in eight years after the germ is planted, and from that time on is never withoutnuts in all stages of development, from the tiny.nut no larger than an acorn, to the full grown fruit wlfchs is ready to