Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-03
THE BANANA As FOOD.
Beer, Bread, Sausages and Meal Are Among
Its Possibilities.

ITS Possibilities.
An innocent barrel of banana meal was last
week the cause Of a curious complication be-
tween the Department of Agriculture at Wash
ington, the custom house at New York. the
United States Express Company and Mr.. Francis
J. Gels Of No. 200 East l4oth street. SAYS the
New York World The meal was sent by the
government of the Island of Jamaica as a pres
ent to the United States government. and as
Mr.. Gels had been instrumental in arousing the
interest which has led up to the manufacture
Of such meal the business of forwarding it to
Washington after its arrival in New York WAS
intrusted to him by the Jamaica authorities
He performed his work by giving the bill Of
lading to the United States Express Company,
with instructions to forward the meal to Edwin
Willetts. assistant secretary Of agriculture.
1t did not go. The custom house officers
here, knowing that there is a duty Of 20 per
cent on banana meal as a manufactured prod
uct. held il, and an order from the Treasury
Department is now necessary before Uncle Sam
can get the gift that was sent to him with
out paving himself the duty he has imposed
upon it.
The gift Of a single barrel of banana meal
from one government to another is one of curl
ously trifing pecuniary value. but ii is one
which NAV lead to results SO vast and important
The contents of this sample barrel are TO be
distributed in small sample packages to such
planters in this country shall signify their in
tention to embark in the business Of manufac-
turing the meal.
The banana is one Of the most valuable food
pares with it in productivencss, as Humboldt
pointed out, and none other is ss rich in pure
food constituents. Yet il is in one sense almost
neglected product. Bananas are eaten as
fruit more and more every year. but until now
hardly anything has been attempted in the way
of making a staple meal from them, although
banana meal was known as long ago as the time
of the Montezumas
1t has beer supposed that this meal could not
be made in q manner to keep, but recent expert
ments have proved that il may be.
Several governments-notabyt those of Eng
land, Germany and the United States-have
now become interested in the question, and it
is altogether likely that within q few months
the manufacture Of banana meal will be an es-
tablished industry in various parts Of the world
Mr.. Gels has shown that the ripe banana, put
up in tin cans with condensed milk, makes an
almost ideally perfect food that viii keep as
well Is any other canned product; that the
meal can be manufactured economically by
simple processes from the raw or unripe fruit
in such . way as to keep as well wheat -four;
that a sausage can be made Of the partially ripe
fruit, which, when thoroughly dried, will keep
in any climate, and. moreover, he has demon
strated that the meal, being . pure starch. can
be utilized not only in the making Of bread, but
in the brewing Of beer in . way to save and
make fortunes.
1t 10 also claimed that . really indelible ink
and a superior article Of vinegar can be pro-
duced from the juices contained in the banana
peel. The fiber Of the peel, il Is said, can also
be utilized in making cloth Of great strength
and remarkable beauty.
In the elaboration Of his plans Mr. Gels has
taken ont q great number Of patents in the
United States and several other countries COW
ering his methods Of cultivating the banana
plant and Of manufacturing the meaI. He has,
after procuring the patents, given them TO the
government so that the planters Of the country
may manufacture the meal free Of any charges
to him or TO any other patentee. His reason
for doing this Is to advance the manufacture Of
the meal as rapidly - possible. There 10 not ax
present, he says, . single ton Of Ne meal in the
world, and it 10 needed by the millions q
pounds by the brewers Of the country. Who are
anxious to use IL In making beer.
Bananas win grow wherever rice win Rrov.
and the enormous possibilities now demon
strated have already attracted the attention. Of
capitalists in this and other countries. Mr.. II
". Mallitx Of 0reytoun, Nicaragua. has iust
made Wit to Mr.. 0e1s In TIE intsrest of 8
syndicate there, andensaged TIE services of 90
Of the lsading manufacturing hrns a New
York 70 constructs machinery Tor Pint 70 b
A Syndicate Of soma Of ~ hsavisst oapinlfs6s
In New York i also forming 10 pub II buGi-
ness IN The United 6eateA