Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-07-03

clings 70 It's lower extremity, withers
and drops of Bananas always curl
their outer end upward as they grow,
and not downward. as is supposed By
most persons who have only seen the
punches hanging upside down in fruit
stalls
After the fruit is formed IL takes about
three months 70 "hll" or attain it, full
size. Then. although it Is still green,
the bunch Il cut and hung in q shaded
place 10 ripen. for bananas, like pears.
ripen best after being gathered. Thus,
znlike most tropical fruits, the banana
Of northern markets is fully equal in
favor and nutrition 10 that consumed
where grown.
/ Having borne its single bunch Of fruit
the life-work Of the plant IS ended, and
it quickly dies, or, as is always the case
where it is cultivated. is al once cut
down. When thus treated the severed
tru: yield a copious flow of juice that
is in Itself an indelible ink, the stain Of
which cannot be removed from linen or
cotton. The place Of the defunct stree"
IL Immediately taken by the sturdies, of
the cluster of shoots that have sprung
up in its shadow. and thus from single
sucker the supply of bearing plants is
continued indefinitely.
Bananas require damp rich soil; bu-
that being given, they repay the labor
of planting and such slight cultivation
as is required TO keep them free from
other growths, with yield 80 great as
20 be out of all proportion 10 the work
expended upon them. after while,
TOO, the plants aid in their own cuItivs-
ton, by so covering the ground about
with their own refuse leaves as effect
ually to prevent any other growth in
their immediate vicinity.
So generous is the fruitage Of this ex-
traordinary plant that It's food product
was estimated BY Baron Won Humboldt /
to be I33 times greater than that OF
wheat, and forty-tour more times than
that OF potatoes. In other words, If
certain area Of ground would produce
pounds Of wheat or ninety
nine of pota:os. an equal area Of oa-
mana land would yield 1000 pounds OF
fruit, containing all the DEMONSTRATING
properties of both wheat and Potstos-
Won Humboldt also asserted mat me
arabic lands in Central merica alone
,an produce enough bananas 70 feed the
world.
Il is now generally admitted that the
panama is indigenous only 70 the Ma
ayan peninsula, and that, as II has
ieither seeds 70 be scattered by birds,
ior a buoyant husk. Ike that Of the CO.
.oanut, TO float il in ocean currents, It
must have been o. human agency
pread to all the other parts Of the world
where II is now found But as i was
discovered in Central America and the
Vest Indian islands BY the followers Of
Columbus, the question arises: Who
arried it 70 those Plaoesi' Was the
riginal discovery and settlement OF
America made BY banana planters
rom the Pacific islands ages before 5
crossed the Atlantic; II the ?
tory Of th- bananas wan = were {
-ulv recorded. mucn OF rh= 5ioten his ?
7rv Of the human race might sand re-
called
4 few wears ago the ONLY bananas
rought 10 This COUNT came in small G
III -wift-sai.ing vessels from the Wes, ,
ndies, and the frait. uow so plentiful q
vervwhere, was almost unknown be- +
ond the larger coast cities. Then ba- /;
anas sold al retail for from SO TO cents q
piece, and but few people were able 10 il
ldulge in them. The demand has
pulled about every I'VE wears since {
500. and the result Is that now there
e regular lines OF frui- steamers, de :
o,ed almost wholly 70 the banana :.
ade, running from Boston, New York. I,
Baltimore ana New Or =.
ans 10 Iamaca. Cuba and various Cen d,
al American ports, and bringing back =,
mana by the million lunches during 4
cry month of the wear Though the
rgest shipments are received daring
c summer months, when rhey San be
ore economically riPenei. the banana
the one fruit thar Is always in sea .
Ia. ~
Few bananas are raised within rhe "a
Mrs Of the United States. only the ex- a
enc southern portions Of Florida ana b
.lifornia being available for their cul- Al