Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-01
The Banana and Pineapple.

The large steamers and sailing YES
sells from the West Indies and Gen.
trail America that carry bananas come
into New York all the year round,
for IN the happy countries where the
| fruit grows there IS no season, new
vegetation coming up all the time. The
banana requires deep, rich earth and
much moisture to grow to perfection.
] The plant comes up like palm with
tightly folded green leaves, which are
followed by others until the stems of
the leaves have formed a trunk eight or
ten inches thick. Nine months from
the plants first appearance a deep pur-
pie bud appears in the centre of the
leaves, which grow large and hang
down like a huge heart. The purple
bud falls of, disclosing rows of other
buds. Each miniature fruit has a
waxen yellow blossom.
In three or four months the fruit
ripens and the plant begins to die. The
bunch of fruit IS generally cut while
yet green, and rlpened in New York.
When the bunch 1t cut the plant dries
up and from its base spring up other
plants.
Although most banana punches hang
down in maturity, variety Is found on
the Society Islands whose very large
punches of Orange-colored fruit stand
up erect. The Brazilian banana tree
rises to height of fifteen or twenty
feet, but the Chinese variety seldom
exceeds five feet. Along the coast OF
Arrapau n hapana rrnua full of coa1u
Bananas in the tropics are eaten raw
or with sugar and cream, or wine, or
orange Juice. Cooked when green or
ripe they are fried alons or in butter,
baked with the skins on or made into
puddingS or pies. They are made into q
paste which is the staple food OF many
Mexican tribes. Bananas contain much
nourishment, for Humboldt states that
a surface OF ground bearing wheat
enough to feed one man will when
planted with bananas feed twenty-five.
In the tropics the Young shoots are
cooked as asparagus and the ibres OF
the leaves make textile fabric Of great
beauty. A banana plantation will yield
all the year round,
The pineapple grows much farther
north, is cultivated extensively III Flor
Ida, and found even in the Dismal
Swamp of Virginia. 1t takes its name
from the resemblance to the cones OF
some species of pine. 1t is neSzly re-
lated to the Gamma, ginger and banana
families. The American origin of the
pineapple has been disputed since 1t
has become naturalized IN parts of Asia
and Africa. The best authorities be-
lieve that it is native of Brazil, and
perhaps of some of the Antilles.
1he pineapple Is a biennial with the
habit of an aloe. 1t grows in the centre
Of cluster of leaves which curve grace
fully out from the centre. From this
foliage arises a stem two or thee
feet high, on the upper portion of
which the flowers are crowded in the
form OF g conical spike. The fruit
appears after the flowers drop off.
The first pineapples known in Eng
land were sent rs present to Crom-
well, and the first cultivated in that
country were raised about l7l5. Pine
apples are taken from the West Indies
to England in considerable quantities,
but the fruit is so inferior to that raised
under glass that its cultivation for the
London market is successfully prose-
cuted. The fruit sold in New York IS
greatly inferior to that sold in London.
Thirly per cent. of the pineappleS sent
here usually perish ON the voyage. OF
the pineapples imported into the United
States about One-third come from
Eleuthera and San Salvador. The
business of canning the fruit is largely
pursued at Nassau, n. p.