The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-09
RANANA--PINE--0RANGE
WHERE THEY GROW, AND HOW
THE CREOLES TREAT THEM.

world Compete-Loading Bananas
IN Jamsica-A New York Fruit
Dealer in the Tropics.
From the Nelo York Sun.
THAT looks like being iu civilization
sgain."
The speaker was one of the largest dealers
IN foreign fruits in America, and the remark
was caused by the sight Of huge truck load
of bananas standing in front OF a Barclay
street warehouse. The big green punches
not only Alled the body of the truck, but
they we're piled high in air, like young
load Of hay.
~ have just come from the banana coun-
tries. where one Of those punches would
MAKE a load. That makes me appreciate
this Wholesale way OF handling them all the
more. 1t is the same thing with all kinds
Of loads In all the hot countries. Twenty
horses or donkeys and fifty people spend a
day in getting few tons of cargo to the
steamer, and when it reaches New York one
of our big trucks takes 1t up in one load and
the horses trot away with it. Those are
Jamaica bananas, and the way bananas are
handled there would make pretty picture,
but there is no business in it.
"How are they handled in Jamaican
"Well, there is a big warehouse on the
wharf, divided into large bins for the diff
ferent kinds and qualities. In front of the
warehouse is q 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 is a colored family we'll say liv-
ing ten miles back in the country with a
little patch of land, perhaps half an acre.
Here few orange trees are growing, and
bananas, sugar apples. and perhaps a
cOcoanut tree or two, When a bunch
of bananas is ready to cut. Sambo mounts
it on his head and trudges off to the wares
house with it, and receives his is, 20, per-
haps 80 cents, according to the size and
quality. His neighbors are doing the same
thing and the roads are full of Sambos
with punches of bananas on their heads.
Those who are rich enough to own a donkey
and cart take two or three punches at a
time. Some fellow who lives up lagoon
or up little river brings down two or three
punches in dugout canoe. There Is a con-
slant procession OF these people, all with
punches of bananas, and hardly any single
load worth as much as a dollar.
I'm this primitive way the bins are filed
up. When the ship is ready to load plank
platform is slung 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 carry
ing the punches from the warehouse to the
ship, always on their heads. Quite as many
women work at this as men, and sometimes
they are all women. a man is stationed
auout the middle OF the wharf with
sharp machete or cutlass, and all
the leaders must pass close by this
man. The punches come in with long
st ms, and as the loader pauses a moment
before him be cuts off the stem with blow
OF the machet In a short time he is stand
ing knee deep in stems, and a colored GENTLE
man comes up and shovels them overheard.
A clerk stands by TO count the punches as
they 90 aboard, and the monotonous 'one
two, three, four, tal-l-e-e' of the men on the
platform continues for hours and days.
This makes an odd scene by daylight; at
night. by the light Of torches, it is weird"
''But these punches are all green" it was
suggested. They must have an entirely
different flavor when cut ripe"
mot at ALL" was the answer, bananas
are always cut green-never allowed to
ripen on the trees. This is the one tropical
fruit that the New Yorker gets in exactly
the same condition as the West Indian
planter gets it. As the banana tastes here,
SO it tastes in Jamaica, in Cuba, in Costa
Rica, wherever it is grown. But in those
countries white people will not eat these
large varieties; they prefer the small fig
banana, which has a more delicate flavor"
pectIve millions in banana culture, and
haRe gone TO warm countries to try 1t. Do
you know Of any" he was asked, who have
been successful at it 2"
I'm raising bananss?' he replied. "Any-
body can raise bananeg in hot country
They will grow themselves if you let them
alone. But you mean successful in making
money? know Of only one American who
has made money in the business and he has
q " RI H.
ates on the north shore Of Jamaica, and
ships from Port Morant and Port Antonio,
the company owning the vessels. But he
buys from everybody, and he has made
more money ont of shipping than out of
raising. What chance has an American in
a business where he must compete with
10000 colored men who can live on 10 cents
adaym
ARE there any American bauanasg"
There are, but not enough 10 be known
to the trade. bananas can be raised some
times in most parts of Florida, but they are
uncertain there, for they are very sensitive
20 frost, much more sensitive than oranges,
and the slightest frost kills the plants
There are few struggling specimens in
louisiana and along the Gulf coast, but
they ere principally for ornament. They
would grow at Key West, but there is no
soil there. About Lake Worth and in the
southern Florida counties few are raised,
Out scarcely any are shipped. Labor is too
GEAR In Florida, even il the climate per-
Inltted, for competition with the West
indies. No; the banana you eat in New
YORK is always foreign fruit"
But the orange is an American"
"Ahl there you have native American.
The best orange that comes to this market
Is the Florida orange. Understand, l do
not say that the Florida orange is the best
orange that grows, although l think
1t is; but 1t is the best orange that
comes to New York. Many Euro
peans think that some of the Mediterranean
oranges are superior to 1t. That is because
tney get them fresher than they get our
Florldas, and the same reason hes much to
10 with our preference for Flordas over
Tue Mediterranean fruit. The Florida
orange is the product of intelligent
sAllled labor. Most of the Florida
oranges we eat are raised, picked,
packed and shipped by intelligent white
men. The bulk of the Florida oranges
come from small groves, of an acre to five
acres, where all the work is done by the
o"ner and perhaps his son or some intelIi-
gent assistant. He fertilizes the trees,
PoWs up the ground, washes the trunks
WIN soapsuds or chemicals when they show
Su! signs Of turning green, cuts out all the
t Goau branches, and sprays the leaves with
.usectcldes when necessary. This is the
secret OF the excellence of the Florida
range. No other orange In the world is
raised In such poor soil. No other orange is
ssolarge, 80 juicy, so shapely or 50 well
NuSOred. 1t is all in the cultivation.
RI ln1 boz rrL