The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-13
a LETTER FROM HONDURAS.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Banana
4 Tricky 1rader--1ho Planters Loss.

4 Tricky 1rader--Iho Planters Loss.
The inhabitant Of the north, who live
within easy reach of steamers and rail
ways. can buy his bananas and other
trop cal fruit white the thermometer h
somewhere down Ia the thirties, and he
NAV have a faint longing 10 be some
where down south, where "the ciiron
blooms aud where he may imagne
that the SKY must be forever blue But
far from it; here, as elsewhere. there l.
ALWAYS some detrimental element up
setting ones agricultural expectations,
and the bananas IN spite or perhaps De
cause Of the luXuriant and speedy growth
of the plant, Is the first TO suffer from
the heavy storms that sweep down over
the mountains or along the coast. Whole
banana fields are thrown 20 the ground
bv one severe gale; the plant has not
what might be termed trunk; from the
comparative slender root shoot up the
leaves and stem. which, top heavy ard
fruit laden, is bending the tree by IT.
own weight, and II felled to the ground
by storm 1t rises no more.
This IS. however. not the only mistor-
tune % which the planter must submit
Even if he is lucky enough to escape tine
devastating storms and have his bananas
attain the necessary state of maturity,
he Is then nc the mercy OF an occasional
steamer to come and buy hls product
Tropical fruits are not like apples and
pears. which may be preserved for
months: here almost every kind Of irult
must be cut before it is fully ripe be-.
nanas are cut when they are "three-
quarters full. ~ and during the summer
even less. % insure their safe arrival
after q voyage Of ten or twelve days
Strange as IL may seem. bananas LEFT TO
ripcu on the stem axe tasUiess, they
must always be cut before they enc fully
ripe. only what is exported IS often too
Young and too green 10 develop the Ie-
liciocs flavor which they have here.
Theu ID steamer arrives M these tropic
port. where banana. are cultivated, the
agent or captain gives out tickets OF or
dcis 10 the various irui. growers ID cut
so many punches. each clulle, t. b. u
the ure-crllel height. seven hands up
which means So many layers OK ban
anas everything each other There are
tall and little mon, so there are buncHej
of bananas but little man may be Il
man FOX all that. not so the punches II
bananas. the small ones are counted two,
o. even three for one. At o stated hour
OF the daE " more frequently OK the
NIGHT. the steamer j. auc. ored ont ia the
BAY. and ~ rue perl Of bis life each
planter carries out lis frult ln ms small
boat or doly. 10 meet with lI-lr d1ap-
p0iutmeut. l0l very often only 0no-aail
perhaps less Of his ilu.. will be accepted
and paid lol. although It was all con-
tractcI fOY, bat It l. 80 easy 20 ind some
fault. and as there Is 10 way Il psl5crT-
ing tie bananas. and no other steamer
due for q week or @ fortnight. There Is no
choice and DO time for the planter; either
he takes what he can Get or he throws
his bananas overheard and The tue Of
the early morning washes tine refused
punches ashore like 60 many bodies after
a slaughter
One often reads IN books of travel that
the banana is the staple article Of food Of
tie inhabitants of the tropics, but this IS
a mistake; on the contrary, they war"
The foreigners from indulglng too much
in this species Of fruit, which they never
eat themselves. except cooked like pota-
toes. while the banana is vet green. II
Is the pantain which, throughout the
West Indies and the mainland Of Central
and South America, takes the place Of
bread and potatoes II belongs to the
same family as the "Musa J.. butitcan-
not be eaten raw; it IS cooked. roasted or
fried ike poatoes.-La5el Cantni IN
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