The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-03
BANANA, PINE, AND ORANGE.
WHERE REST zHEY oR0W, AND now
THE CREOLES TREAT THEM

DnNhlNHS ILNi5s AND WINNIE
WHERE REST zHEY 0R0W, AND nov
THE CRE0LEs TREAT THEM
Florida for orasres. ThsssA An the wsr,t
Ceopete-LondisE Bananss In Jaaasea-
Anew York Fruit Dealer In the Tropses
THAT looks like being in civilization again. :
The speaker was ono Of the largest dealers
IN foreign fruits In America, and the remark
was caused BY the sight Of Q hugo truck load Of
bananas standing In front OF n Barclay street
warehouse. The big green punches not only
Dlled the body ofthc truck. but they were piled
high in air. like young load Of hay.
II have Just como from tho banana ooun-
tries. where one Of those punches would make
aload. That makes me appreciate this whole
sale way Of handling Thorn all tho moro. II is
the Same thing with all kinds Of loads In all
| the hot countries. Twenty horses or donkeys
and fifty people spend day in getting few
tons OF cargo to tho steamer. and when It
reaches New York one Of our big trucks takes
It up In one load and the horses trot away with
IT, Those are Jamaica bananas. and the way
bananas are handled there would mako q
pretty picture. but there isno business In II. !"
| How are they handled in Jamaican"
| well. there fs big warehouse on the wharf.
| divided into large bins for the different kinds
| and qualities In front Of the warehouse Is
| . broad platform, and at the other end Of the
platform the steamer lies. There must be at
least one steamer leaving every week. and
there should be two. for the green punches
are constantly coming in. There IL . colored
family we'll say living ten miles back in the
country with q little patch Of land. perhaps
half an acre. Here few orange trees are
growing. and bananas. sugar apples. and per-
haps cocoanut tree or two. When bunch
Of bananas 10 ready to cut, sambo mounts 1t
on his head and trudGes OF to the warehouse
with II, and receives his Is. 20. perhaps
30 cents. according to tho size and quality.
His neiehbors are doing tho same thing.
and the roads are full OF Sambos
with punches Of bananas on their heads
Those who are rich enough to own dom
key and cart take two or three punches at q
time. Some fellow who lives up a lagoon or
up a little river brings down two or three
punches in q dugout canoo. There is q con-
slant procession Of these people. all with
punches Of bananas. and hardly any single
/. load worth as much as dollar.
I'm this primitive way the bins are filled up.
When the ship is ready to load. plank plat
form is sung half way up her side. on which
two men stand to receive the punches and
pass them aboard. Then twenty or thirty
colored men and women begin carrying the
punches from the warehouse to the ship. al
ways on their heads. Quite as many women
die, Of the wharf with a sharp machete or
The coms R wsh
stems. and as the loader .pauses, q moment
s him he sSol $e S
sssS an s. 81
three. four; tal:I-e.e' Of the men on the plat.
the light OF torches. 1t is weird"
HH neS us sFs a s
Not at ali. was the answer: bananas are
cut the t. as
t g,. New Yorker setf e exactly t6e same COP:
afn ss Mss IL ssts IT.
n b, Cuba In Costa Rica: wherever It Il grown;
he.s eH
banana. which has more delicate flavor" "
49,. "A number Of :, Americans have seen pros.
s e s5y Il ys' asked who have Been sue
net aSns
know Of only one American who has made
money in the business. and he has wealthy
north shore Of Jamaica. and ships from Port
Morant and Port Antonio his company owning
he has made more money out Of shipping than
out OF raising. What chance has an Amert-
can n business where he must compete with
cents cen 9 dayF' ''''''u 'n'n WIZ 'an 'i'e VI ~
Are there any American bananasr
parts ords
sen hsY a1 to I
slightest frost kills the plants There are q |
RS in sd
for ornament. They, would crow Ct Key, West.
but there is NO soil there About Lake Worth
is TOO dear in Florida even il the Climate Per.
eat IN York Is
o foreign fruit"
"" ISt t the orange is an American" u
not
ei eess Hrn e &.
Osans nf Sa to SsT XSk an Gs9
they get them iresher than they get our Flor
das and the sane M has much to
inteeent ssea Hs5base St afa Se
Fhe bulk Of the Florida Oranges s,' eom na
perhaps his son. or some Intelligent assistsnt.
he WASHES The asfs viii sdsp es
chemicals when they. show any signs of turn:
sprays tho leaves with Insecticides when
necessary. This is tho secret Of the excel
In tho world is raiseI In such poor soil. No
niKK ssssPgsS
Those oranges are handled as though each
one was pet baby. When they are ready to
pick the owner goes out with long step lad
Of shears in his pocket The ladder carries
him up among the branches. and he clips each
and lays 1t In the bag. When the bag Is full he
ZONES down md .eempties 1t carefully into q
two or three oranges at a time. II one is acci-
IDENTIFY bruised. 1t Is thrown aside. The, oranges