Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-05-29
THE LUSCIOUS BANANA.
where and How This Most Nutritiys oi
All Fruits Grows.

All Fruits Grows.
Most of the bananas are raised In tho
West Indies, the island of Jamaica
especially, though they grow freely in
all tropical lands. The fact OF their
chcapness hero shows that they must
be easily cultivated; an this is so, for
even the widest tribes in South
America and elsewhere succeed well IN
raising them. In the culture OF TINS
luscious fruit it is not too much to say
that nature seems to do all the work
herself the share necessary for man
being almost nil, since all tho labor
needed in cultivating the fruit consists
in setting out the suckers that form the
trees, nature being then left to do the
rest until the time to cut the fruit ar
rives. This occurs within year from
planting, the plant, or rather the trees
by this time having reached height oil
about ten fest. Where considerable in
telligence is brought into requisition
the suckers are set out regularly TO
make plantations, with the trees ABOUT
fifteen feet apart.
According to one thority one pound
Of bananas contains more nutrimeht
than three pounds of meal or as many
pounds of potatoes, while as a food 1t IS
in every sense superior TO tho wheaton
bread. Although it grows spontaneous
ly throughout the topics, when culti-
vated its yield is prodigious, for an acre
of ground planted with bananas Will
return as much food material rs thirty
three acres of wheat or over one hum
dred acres of potatoes. 1t is not gem
orally understood that bananas fried,
baked, or roasted-are very appetizing,
and that sliced and placed in dish
with alternate slices of orange they
make a most delicious dessert.
The antiquity of the banana Is be-
yond dispute. Pliny, among other
ancient scribes, undoubtedly speaks OF
il under the name of pala. After writ
ing upon the properties of the Indian
fig he says: There is another tree in
India, still larger and even more re-
markable for the size and sweetness OF
its fruit, upon which the sagos and
rymnosophists of India live" True,
some authorities contend that this does
not in reality apply to the banana at
all, but to another kind of fruit.
Gerard, the old English botanist, in
reference to the banana, says it is
Adams apple tree, and that which ever
way the fruit may be cut the form of q
cross may be seen in it. Again, tradi-
ton further asserts that in Ceylon,
where, according to some, Paradise was
situated, there exists tremendous ban
ana tree, the fruit of which when cut
transversely presents the figure of
man cruciied, and local tradition asserts
that from its huge leaves Adam and
Eve made garments for themselves.
10 refer to musa, or plantain tree, is
tantamount to opening the oft-disputed
question as to whether it be native OF
southern Asia or of the new world. Il
= was generally considered as being {
h native of the former until, as De Can
5 dole states, Humboldt throw doubt
6 upon its purely Asiatic origin, fortify
ing his contention by an appeal to nu
merous writers who maintained tina
|; the banana was cultivated in Americ'
: before the conquest.
No fruit is more easy of digestion
and SO healthful as tho banana. l
e takes on an average only one hour ant
+ forty-fve minutes stay in the digestiv'
c organs, and is the only fruit in exist
v cnce that requires such short time t.
n do so; even ripe pears require more
= and the proverbial ripe strawberr,
L takes one hour longer.
+ During one year from forty thousan'
y to fifty thousand clusters of this frui
:, were shipped to Europe, averaging
, three shillings per cluster-Granc
> Canary alone contributing betweel
= twenty-five thousand and thirty thou
= | - ol,,e4n,.a nhian1a Na1DQ