Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-08-07
The Banana and Pineapple.

The large steamers and sailing vessels
from the West Indies and Central Amer
lea 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 a
palm with tightly folded green leaves,
which are followed by others until the
stems of the leaves have formed trunk
eight or ten inches thick. Nine months
from the plants first appearance deep
purple bud appears in the centre of the
leaves, which grows large and hangs down
like huge heart. The purple bud falls
off, disclosing rows of other buds. Each
miniature fruit has a waxen yellow bios
som.
In three or four months the fruit ripens
and the plant begins to die. The bunch
of fruit is generally cut while yet green,
ard ripened in New York, as shown in
cur sketch of banana cellar. When the
bunch is cut the plant dries up and from
its base spring up other plants.
Although mot banana punches hang
down in maturity, variety is found on
the Society Islands who's, 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 Arracan a
banana grows full of leeds.
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 alone or in bu. ter,
baked with the skins on or made into
puddings or pies. They are made into a
paste which is the staple food of many
Mexican tribes. Bananas contain much
nourlshment, for Humboldt states that a
surface of ground bearing wheat enoog
to iced one man will when planted with
bananas feed twenty-five. In the tropics
the young shoots are cooked as aspara-
gus and the tib; es of the leaves make a
textile fabric of great beauty. A ban.
ana plantation will yie.d all the year
round.
The pineapple grows much farther
north, Is guilty ateu extensively in Flor
ida, and found even in the Iism i
swamp of Virginia. 1t takes its name
from its resemblance to tie cones of
some species of p ne. 1t is nearly relat
to the cannl, 6 niger and banana families.
The American origin of the pineapple
has been disputed since it has become
naturalized in parts of Asia and Africa.
The best authorities believe that it is 8
native OF Brazil, and perhaps of some Of
the Antilles.
The pineapple is 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 thi:
foliage arises Il stem two or three feet
high, on the upper portion of which the
flowers are crowded in the form of conf
cal spike. The fruit appears after tn,
flowers drop off.
The first p.neappes known in England
were sent as present to Cromwell, anG
the first cultivated in that country were
raised about 1715. Pineapplcs are taker
from the West Indies to England in con
siderable quantities, but the fruit is SC
inferior to that raised under glass that it.
cultivation for the London market is sue
cessfully prosecuted. The fruit sold in
New York is greatly inferior to that sod
in London. Thirty per cent. of the pine
apples sent here usually perish on the
voyage. OF the pineapples imported into
the United States about third come
from Eleuthera and San Salvador. The
business of canning the fruit is largei,
pursued at Nassau, N. P.-Nese Yori
Graphic.