Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-03
THE BANANA TRADE.
1T HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES
IN RECENT YEARS.
Origin of the Industry-Whcre the
Iruit Comes From-How 1t is
Grown and Transported
to This Country.

ket. Probably no trade has received
such strict attention or has shown such
rapid strides in the past few years as this
one. Strange as it may seem, while
bananas are shipped TO no other country
but America, with the exception of the
Pacific Mail line of steamships there is
not an American vessel in the trade.
During the last year, from January 1st
to December 31st ~, 5S2, $50 punches of
bananas reached the United States. As
it is estimated that each bunch averaged
one hundred bananas, more than one bill
lion were distributed throughout the
country last year, or sufficient to allow
every man, woman and child in America
to have had about twenty bananas to eat.
Placed end to end they would have ex-
tended a distance of more than three
times around the globe.
No fruit ever gained such widespread
popularity in so short a time. Fifteen
years ago it was comparatively unknown
except in the large cities and even there
it was only supplied in comparatively
small quantities to the largest hotels and
among the wealthier class Of people.
The trade dates back in its incipiency
to about thirty-fve years ago. The first
bananas that reached the United States
were from Baracoa. At that time the
natives Of Baracoa and its neighborhood
were raisers of tobacco principally. Most
OF the tobacco growers, howeaer, raised
a few bananas on their plantations for
their own use. They were not such
yellow ones as are now shipped to this
country, however. They were Of the
red variety, with few small yellows,
which were then known as "Porgie"
bananas.
Among the men who were interested
in growing tobacco at Baracoa was a
Spaniard Of the name of Gomez. He
was not only interested in more than one
tobacco plantation, but kept a general
store at Baracoa and made business of
bartering provisions for tobacco. Occa-
sionaly farmer would bring in from
his plantation ten or dozen punches of
bananas. These Mr.. Gomez would give
to the captain Of vessel bound for New
York or New Orleans with instructions
to trade oil for whatever nc could get for
thcm--a pair of shoes, clothing or the
like. The idea Of shipping them to sell
was not thought Of. The only vessels
from Baracoa at that time were schoon-
ors, and the voyage to New York usually
occupied from twelve to fifteen days. At
the end of such voyage it was usually
found that fully fifty per cent of the
bananas had decayed.
After several years of such shipments
the fruit began to be known among GER
tam classes of fruit dealers, and small
orders were returned by the captains Of
the Baracoa schooners, and the trade in
a small way was established. The
Government, with its eyes wide open for
dutiable goods, placed tariff of twenty
per cent ad valorcm on the fruit.
The orders from New York and New
Orleans became so numerous at Baracoa
that it taxed the farmers in the surround
ing country to supply them. Senor
Gomez, realizing that there was ready
market for the fruit, set out to make a
feature of growing it. 1t was at this
time that the first schooner laden with
cargo exclusively of bananas left Baracoa
for New York. Although more than
fifty per cent Of the fruit was unfit to
sell after reaching its destination, the
remainder found ready sale and yielded
fair profit. The trade was established.
When the trade of New York reached
two thousand punches of bananas week
it was thought to be at its zenith, but
it proved to have only just begun.
1t was discovered at the time that the
yellow plantin bananas, such as reach
the market now, matured at least six
months sooner than did the red ones,
and that IN order to supply the demand
it would be more profitable to grow the
yellow variety. 1t was found to be just
as marketable as its red brother, although
at not quite as high price.
The season of the fruit is from the 1st
Of March to the last of June, and the
farmers planted the trees at such time
as would cause the fruit to mature for
shipment dIring these months. Frit
cut before or after these three months
cannot command as high prices.
SO rapidly did the trade grow that the
raisers realized that unless some means
were devised whereby the fruit could
reach its destination more quickly aud
without such terrible decay that the de-
mand would overreach the supply no
matter how extensively it was raised.
1t was then, about ten years ago, that
the idea occurred to charter steamships
to transport the fruit. 1t proved sue
cessful beyond the expectations OF the
most sanguine. 1t was discovered that