Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

town of Rama There the Rama and 81,
guia rivers join on their way to the sea
for twenty miles up these two continents
and down the Rama to within twenty miles
or the coast the shores are covered with
e GA na fro piaptaaons Three lines Of steam
Savannah and two lines to New Orleans.
In winter vessels leave every five or SIX
days, each loaded with from 1000 to 10000
When a steamer arrives at Blue Fields
the company TO which II belongs sends a
tug up the river with orders. These orders
ample: One grower will be requested TO
cut ON certain day 300 punches. three
growth at which the fruit may be expected
TO rtpen In eight or nine days. Bananas
two-thirds full are not 50 big and not SO
stage for transportation to a greater dis
lance. The steamers accept lunches hav-
ing eight hands' or over as whole bunch
are taken as half punches.
The Banana Piantatfons.
Each plantation is called bank" When
II receives an order the foreman and his
laborers start out early In the morning,
going through those portions OF the Guilt
vated land where the fruit is most abun-
dant ana in the best condition. AS they
60 along they chop down each plant that
bears g desirable bunch. The bunch is
cut of and the plant is left 20 rot on the
spot. The punches, whole ones weighing
from 30 to IS pounds, are carried to the
landing place and green banana leaves are
put over them to protect them from the
The banana is propagated by cutting of
small shoots from the roots OF developed
plants and setting them out in regular rows
60 that they shall be eighteen feet apart
Iney require no further attention except
TO Keep down the weeds. which grow so
rapidly and with such luxuriance as to re-
Quire cutting every few days. Otherwise
they take away SO much from the sus-
tepance Of the plants that the latter will
only produce half punches. A full grown
banana plant is from twenty 10 twenty-five
rect ngh. with leaves eight to ten feet
long. 1t requires about eighteen months to
mature and ripen the single bunch which II
produces. A good bunch will contain 15O
bananas. One square mile should cut 500
punches a week all the wear round. I-nfor-
tunately, bananas rapidly drain the soil,
SO that a plantation runs out in ten years
or So II begins to bear only half punches
and must finally be abandoned for fresh
land.
The Planters and Their Laborers.
The labor in this banana growing region
Is mostly done by Jamaica negroes. They
are the LATEST and most unmanageable
workmen IN the world. It il hard to get
them to do more than two or three hours
work In day. The rest OF their time they
reling. Though they quarrel constantly,
they rarely Tight II is different with the
Spanish laborers. Every one OF the latter
Of his back. and when angry he win use IL.
The Spaniards have a disagreeabie way of
getting Into rows at their festivals. on
which occasions feuds of long standing are
The planters are Americans, Spaniards
and Jamaica negroes Of a better class
ing at the mercy Of the steamer lines. Some
time ago a Philadelphia line OF steamers
entered the business and started TO carry
bananas from Blue Fields. To freeze out
vsxt h. stAr o,.s< d. 4
the price Of bananas TO 81 IS bunch In gold
This was very profitable for the growers
while II lasted The Philadelphia company
Immediately fell and is now only 20 cents a
bunch in Nicaragua money, which is equiv.
alent TO % cents in United States coin
reject Hs ali punches which are net IN ins An.
est condition. There is nothing to do witt
these but to throw them away, and thus Z,
are rpp seen boating down the river by thous
ands. the fishes eating them and the cow
wading into the streams TO feed on them
These facts s Will help TO account for h.
country. When they reach here too greer
II is said that the Italian vendors sleep with
them for the purpose OF ripening them. bu'
that is very likely untrue
Natives Prefer Planfafns.
Strange to say. bananas are not very
highly priced where they grow. The ma
tives greatly prefer plantains. They be
Heve that raw bananas give people fevers
The fully rpened fruit looks very different
from the banana that is sold In northern
markets. II becomes very round and nat
finally splitting in two lengthwise. Dwell
ers In the banana producing country cool
them in several ways. They peel and boz
when they begin TO get yellow they ar
sliced and fried. Good vinegar is made
from fermented bananas The fibre Of ths
stalk is excellently adapted for many pur-
poses and is likely TO become a CONNER
cial product before long. A plant for manu-
featuring banana -four has recently beer
set up in Honduras. In the preparation
Of this article the bananas are peeled driet
and ground. 1t is claimed that the nour Il
as good and nutritious as that obtainet
from wheat, having the additional advant
age OF being much cheaper.