Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-02
BIRMINGHAM STATE HERALD, SUNDAY, FEBRuARYs9 1896

DuSlneSS, on account or the uncertainty of the winds. Many cargo has spoiled at sea on account of the vessel becoming becalmed. Their slowness and uncer- tainty compelled sailing vessels to give way to steamers, a large number of which run, into Mobile which is now the third largest fruit importing port, New York and New Orleans being in the lead.
 The banana is not a native of this country, but was brought over here from Asia. In the eastern tropics there are large number of species of bananas, but only two kinds have been cultivated in America, the large yellow and a small red variety.
 Another plant, very similar to the bananas. is the plantain, which is only eaten when cooked. It is staple article Of food in the tropics and when fried in cocoanut oil it is dish fit for the gods. As strange as it may seem, it is ex- tremely difficult to- get a. ripe banana here unless you buy a grsen bunch afid let them ripen. Phe bananasis never all lowed ito ripen- onzsfhe trees 1t and the pear are the only two fruits that ripen best by being pulled green. It is a mis- taken idea to think that banana tastes any better here than at home. Other fruits do, but not the banana.
 As you have no doubt observed, the banana is seedless, but it was not always so. Cultivation through unnumbered generations has led to the atrophy of these organs just as wearing clothes has led to the atrophy of a small muscle on the back of man and woman, which was formerly used for twitching flies off of the back. The present fashion of wear ing low neck dresses may probably re- Vive the use of this muscle on women. Bananas are now propagated by taking sets that spring from the parent root and tranSplanting them. It will do fairly we'll in most any kind of soil. but the best. land is the deep, rich and moist aIluyial river valleys, the same lands that were
 the basis of Jamaica's wealth in the old days Of sugar, rum and slavery, and which have lain in waste in her years of decadence. These lands are destined again. to give her prosperity in days of
 bananas, cocoanuts, coffee and freedom.
 An old yankee sea captain, l.. D. Baker while trading along this island twenty years ago, saw vast sugar estates being over run with massive machinery vast ing away and the mansions crumbling into decay These things can rarely be seen now, for Captain Baker has changed it all He bought up these estates for song and planted them in
 bananas. His business has grown so enormously that a single man cannot handle it. He organized the Boston
 Fruit company,of which he is manager
 and this company practically. controls all the fruit on the island. One of the largest and best of his plantations is the Golden Vale which contains about 200 acres and produces about S0,000 punches per year.
 After the ground is cleared, sets are
 placed in holes about 15 feet apart mak-
 ing about 200 to the acre. From this set
 one shoot after another follows. In about
 twelve months the first shoot grows to about 12 or Is feet high and bears bunch of fruit When the bunch is ready for gathering the stalk or tree is cut down.
 the bunch topped off and another stalk in the cluster soon follows suit and bears bunch of fruit. Thus each hill goes on producing about two punches per year for about seven to ten years when the ground must be cleared and reset. The plant is very exhaustive to the soil, but as yet it has received very little fer tilization except such as results from the decay of the old plants. Looking down upon one of these plantations it resem- bles a corn field. Few leaves are more attractive than the young banana leaves, but with increasing age the color deepens and the wind and rain tear them into two rows of ribbons leaving battered fringe on each leaf stalk. a'H+ ".
 It is not from these big plantations that we derive our enormous supply of fruit. Scattered all over the hills are little clearngs of an acre or two, thickly set with bananas and surrounding a little matched hut, and it is from these that most of the fruit comes. The natives
 either bring their fruit in on their heads or have little two by four donkey on WHICH they SllHS lWO DuuCucS.
 The punches are cut when the banana is about three-quarters full, they are
 wrapped in dry banana leaves to prevent
 bruising and are brought to port in time for the steamer, the arrival of which they are kept informed. It is important that the fruit should be carefully handled and shipped as promptly as possible after cutting. Those who are able haul the fruit in carts, drawn by mule in the shafts and one on each side hitched to an out-rigger. Brokers buy their fruit at the wharf, unpack them and store them under sheds, according to their size and quality and await the arrival of the steamers.
 At only two Jamaica ports can steam CTS load at a wharf, and they are Port Antonio and Port Morant, the chief cen ter of the fruit trade. At all other ports ships must anchor about quarter of a mile from shore and the fruit is lighter ed out in double-ended barges about 30 feet long and capable of loading about 200 punches each. The lighters are man. ned by two black, noisy oarsmen, and still blacker and noiser native aft who souls and steers the craft. When along side the steamer these boatmen pass the punches to two still noiser men on the steamers staging, and they in turn pass the punches to the noisieSt gang of steve dores that ever mortal saw. They lose more time quarreling and fusSing than they do in working. If ever one wants to know what an insult it is to be called a cross between a Jamaica negro and jackass let him come down and see the Jamaica negro. The jackass part is all right. But digress. These negro steve dores are taken on at the first landing and the steamer proceeds from port to port taking on about 2000 punches at each port until she has on from 10000 to 20, 900 punches, She is loaded in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and
 the same gang do the loading. getting
 just a little sleep between ports. They don't seem to have any boss, and if they do they don't pay any attention to him. If one man goes wrong every one of them
 will stop and quarrel for ten minutes,
 and no argument or persuasions can in duce them to cease their noise and quar- rel They seldom come to blows.
 | The first man as he receives the bunch sings out it's number for the tallyman, and the whole gang join in the refrain:
 "One-let her go. Two-put her down. Three-carefully. Four-banana. Tally -oh." This is chanted or sung in loud voice, and at night the effect is weird