The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-29
ALL ABOUT BANANAS.
The Fruit Possesses all Essentials to
SustAin Human LIE.

1 hO ETutb EOB5ESA6E q II h6BeAblhlS 10
Sustain Human Life.
From Golthuaite's Geographical Magazine
The banana goes back to the arliest days.
Alexander's soldiers, as Pliny says, joined
the sages of India, seated in its shades and
partaking of the delicious fruits. Hence
the name "sapientumn given the plant,
which likewise bears the name of Jupiter's
fair daughter, Musa. Now it has been
shown that the banana is OF Malayan ORR
gin. How did it get to India and to South
America and Mexicos The feet Of birds
have borne seed full 10000 miles, while
the cocoanut fioated well nigh the world
around in the great ocean currents.
But the banana has no seeds, nor has it a
casing like the globular cocoanut to float it
around over the waters. Then it must have
been carried by man. 1t is significant that
the Aztecs had traditions of visits by people
from over the seas, while there was, to con-
firm It. an admixture of the religion OF the
Brahmins in their own theology. Would
you think that the despissd banana would
actually step forward to prove that, before
Columbus was, or Lief Ericsson even had an
existence, some swarthy denizens Of the old
world had migrated across the vaters2
Manila rope is made in the Philippine
Islands of the stem of the banana. This
stalk, which usually grows to be six inches
in diameter and from fifteen TO twenty feet
high, has very valuable fiber, from which
are woven beautiful textile fabrics. Many
of the finest India shswls and wrappers
worn by ladies of fashion are manufactured
from this fabric
50, too. an excellent article of paper is
made from it. But are no varie les of
bananas wild! Yes, some have been found
in Ceylon, Cochin China and the Philip
pines. These. OF course, have seeds. but
they are inferior TO the long, cultivated va
rieties. The banana is cultivated by suck
ers. and it is in this way that the literal
plant perpetuates itself Indefinitely. In
Central Africa you may find thousands and
thousands of plants that literally have in
them the germ and life of 10000 years du-
ration.
The banana belongs to the lily family, and
is developed tropical lily. from which, by
ages OF cultivation, the seeds have been
eliminated and the fruit for which it was
cultivated greatly expanded. In relation to
the bearing qualities of this fruit, Hum
boldt, who early saw the wonders of the
plant, said that the ground that would grow
nlnety-nine pounds of potatoes would also
grow thirty-three pounds wheat, but that
the same ground would grow 1000 pounds
of bananas, consequently to that of wheat
ia 1873 TO and TO that of potatoes A to l.
The banana possesses all of the essentials to
the sustenance of life. The savage of the
sea isles ard he jungle owes what be has of
physical strength TO this food.
Wheat alone, potatoes alone, will not do
this. When taken as u steady diet it is
cooked-baked dry in the green state,
pulped and boiled in water as soup, or cut
in slices and fried. do not know whose
beauty | admire the most, the majestic
Cocoa palm, with its heavy crown of
& eat fringed leaves, which are six feet
long and two feet wide.
The leaves of the banana are tender, and
the strong winds of the tropics-the hurri-
canes-soon tear the leaves in strips, there
by adding TO their grace and beauty. The
banana is fruit that beast and bird, as
well as man, are fond of, and the owner,
when he lives in sparsely settled country,
must need protect his plantation by fence
of some thorn plant.