The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-05-04
BANANA CULTURE.
An Interesting Article by Ar.
Girvi1 On the Question.

quantity Of bananas which are
being shipped continually TO the
Coast. Il u an industry which
has steadily increased during the
past twenty years and Is one which
= vet in its infancy. Americans
and Europeans are beginning 10
learn the value of bananas as
-oodstuf. Like rice. which st one
;ime was used as & dessert and has
become au article Of regular con-
sumption. bananas have in the
United states got beyond the stage
Of dessert and are eaten IS 8 vege-
table. Its said that more fOodstuff
Qer acre can be produced in bana-
mas than any other product Of the
soil. Its an industry which has
-svoluionized the agriculture Of
the tropics. Formerly it was
thought that sugar OF coffee or rice
were the only products which
would pay TO raise and that for
these slave labor or contract labor
vas essential. The writer visited
Kingston, Jamaica, in 1868
and saw 2 sugar plantation IN
ruins. the negroes having refused
20 work when not compelled to do
50. One Of the owners OF the estate
spoke very harshly of the negroes,
and held that they were only fit
Tor slaves. and that the manumis-
sion Of them was the ruin Of every
estate on the island. Today many
Of these estates are divided into
small holdings and leased OF
sold on; 10 negroes who raise
bananas and receive $4,000 per
diem for them at the port Of Kings
town alone. i fleet Of steamers
CONVEYS them TO all the Atlantic
ports. both Of America and Europe.
i au industry that the small
farmer can engsge in in the tropics.
The time i near al hand when
bananas viii be raised cheaper,
trsights will be lower, and the con-
sumption on the Coast vastly in
creased. Like sugsrCane, the selec-
ton Of the better kinds Of which
has aided largely in bringing the
output per acre 10 Its present high
standard. so the better kinds Of
bananas viii be selected. There Is
en- immense variety Of them, some
ofwhich are suprior TO others for the
different forms appropriation for the
table. Then again, some consumers
prefer one kind 10 the other for the
ssme purpose. 4 banana is q
fruit. in that II is sweet or sub
acid. II is 3 vegetable. in that il
does not grow on trees. but each
plant produces one bunch and
dies. The stalk Is put 10 no use on
The islands but 10 make compost.
whereas It is 8 mass Of fibre which
would make the finest OF cordage or
paper making material. The ma
jo-ity Of people see very little diff
ference in bananas, but one Of our
island housewives viii point ont
the kinds which are hest Tor roast
ing. boiling. baking. FRYING. plain
,o- In batter. and eating with cream
znd sugar OF eating ont Of the hand.
The China or Guiana banana ap-
pears 70 grow the most prolifcly.
and Is what Is generally shipped 10
the foreign market. Some punches
have go and more, fruit. I; is
more suitable for esting from the
hand o. with cream and sugar
than some Others, but Is very nice
when fried. The popoulu : indi-
genoUs. and Is probably the best Of
81 for baking IN its jacket. The
iholena Is = banana which grows
very large. but should not be
cooked in It's JACKIE. as the skin
impzrts sn astringent taste 70 the
fruit
The lels i smaller than the lnO-
lens. but 8 very fine fruit. Proba-
5lv the best banana 20 eat on. Of
hand : the Brazilian. The NOW
: short and thick, smooth and vel
low. and very few 10 the bunch,
often nos more than twelve, and
Iakes deliciousiy. There are two
kinds Of bolabola. OF nuholsni,
yellow and g red, the latter full Of
seeds. There Is also : small
banana which has the smell and
:aste and flavor Of sn apple, and is
called the apple banana. l. Is
good any way 1t Is served.
In raising bananas for the mar
ke.. i Is found that s good maBy
punches do not come Up 10 regula-
ton shipping size. As the pur-
chasers do not Ike two small
punches II lieu Of one large
crs these shorts sra sold