The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-19

continent also succumbs to phyllOxera
even when introduced here. and the
American grape-grower must look to the
native vines for his fungus resisting
stock. The banana, however, seems to
be lmpervious to the weakness attendant
on domestication, and bears persistent
cultivation with remarkable vitality
II would appear that some animals and
plants are specially adapted TO the en-
ylronment of man, supplying him on the
one hand with benefits. on the other hand
cursing him with pests. In the first of
these, we have fruits, such as the banana,
the apple the peach, etc, and animals,
such as the dog, COW, horse etc. all of
which enjoy (if we may use the word)
the beneficial results of domestication.
while man enjoys in them the fruits of
his labor In the second order we ind
weeds of cultivation, insect plaques,
birds such as the domestic sparrow, mice.
rats, etc, which would probably disap-
pear in their present forms if re.
moved from the environment of
man, just as those of the first or
der would revert or degenerate if man
removed his care from them. So far as
the banana is concerned, man is not likely
TO remove his culture, for what wheat is
TO some races and rice is to others, the
banana is again to others-the staff of
life. And rightly so, for Humboldt places
the value of the -four made from the I'M
ripe dried fruit, as a staple or nutriment,
when compared with the potato, as A is
to l, when compared with wheat as 1873 to
l. A thousand square feet will grow
forty or fifty plants, while an acre of
ground will support fifty men. Take a
patch of land; cultivate it with wheat,
and IL sha nourish its tiller plant it with
bananas, and il shall maintain half a COM
pany of soldiers !" Nor is the fruit all a
decoction of it yields pleasant beverage
you may boil the top of the stalk and find
an excellent vegetable; the South Sea
Islander thatches his hut with the leaves,
makes the fiber into cloth and cordage
and the Hindu renders the fiber so soft
and silky that he weaves it into the ia
vorite Indian shawl.
To what land must we look for its
origin? The ancient Hebrews and EgyD-
tians did not know it, although now it is
cultivated in Egypt. In the native Ian
guages of Peru, Mexico and Brazil, no
name for it has been found. The Greeks,
Latins and Arabs have mentioned it as an
Indian fruit. Pliny, as already stated,
relates the story of Alexander the Great
meeting with il in India and he gives for
1t the name ''pala," which still exists on
the Malabar coast as "bala" or ''palan."
Banana" is probably of West Indian
origin. AS the fruit is practically seed
less, it is not probable that domesticated
plants will furnish wild seedlings.
The discovery Of wild bananas will,
therefore, have value in settling the
question of its native home higher than
any which can be given to any other
fruit. 1t has been found wild in Hindu
stan, in Cochin China, in the center of
Ceylon, on an island off the southern eX-
tremity of Siam and in the Philippine
Islands. In the western world it has been
found wild nowhere but in Barbados, and
there it does not ripen its fruit. Every
thing, therefore, points TO the continent
of Asia as its native place, and it was
probably in that part called the Malayan
Archipelago that it first fell under cult
walton.
When was it brought to America2 It
has been stated that banana leaves have
been found in the ancient totnbs of Peru
Prescott saw ancient histories which said
that the inhabitants of Tumbez brought
bananas to Pizarro. If these statements
are true, then we have probable proof
that the banana discovered America be-
fore the celebrated A. d. 1892 There is
however, a record Of it's introduction on
the eastern side Of the continent
Oviedo relates that Father Thomas,
in 1916 brought the banana from
the Canary Islands to San Domingo. 1t is
true that other Spanish historians say
that it formed a st~ple article of food be
fore the discovery of Columbus, but lin
guistic arguments are used against their
statements. | question whether the mat
ter Will ever be settled but it is quite
certain that in the tropical regions of this
continent it has found congenial home.
and has become not only an important ar
ticle of commerce, but substantial source
OF food. ROBERT BLIGHT.