The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-06-12
Banana Culture in Mexico.
MEXICO. S. q, '96.


our improved transportation facilities.
The ports of New York. Philadelphia,
Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans and Mo-
bile receive by the steamer load these per-
ishable products of the tropics and distrib-
ute them to a thousand interior cities and
villages. Short lines of railroad have, been
built In the producing districts to take them
to the coast, and swift steamer lines to
carry them north; yet the markets are
never flooded.
Baron Humboldt says that IAN acre of
ground planted to bananas will produce
more food at less cost than any other known
CROP" Another authority has declared that
''The banana Is the most productive of all
the fruits in the world. 1t produces Al
times as much as the potato and 1871 times
as much as wheat" These phases appear
an exaggeration, but they are merely simple
expressions of the actual facts.
The greatest market in the world for
these products is the United States, as here
are the greatest number of well-to-do peo-
pie who have money to spend and spend It,
As yet, the field best adapted to the cultiva-
ton of these fruits and, at the same time,
nearest to the United States, is neglected.
We refer to the hill country tributary to the
Port of Tampco in Mexico. Here thrive
every variety of tropical fruits. Oranges.
bananas. pine apples, guavas, chcas, lem
ons and granaditas grow to perfection.
Frequent rains, fertile soil, heavy dews,
rolling hills to promote drainage and help
irrigation; cheap lands and first class trans
portation facilities, either by rail or water,
make the raising and marketing of these
products pro6table; and, more than this,
the climate is healthy. 1t is one of the few
places within the tropics where the Anglo
Saxon can live, be healthy and cultivate the
soil. and yet the principal expectation of
this fruit is from points more distant than
Mexico, and where labor is paid in gold.
An acre OF bananas will produce from roo
to 500 punches annually, at cost of OF
over cents bunch, and they are worth at
the plantation 40 cents a bunch, making a
net profit. of 1928, or more, per acre, an
nually, Mexican money.
The capital necessary to establish plan
tation is much less than in the case of cof-
fee, sugar or oranges, The plants come
into bearing. within ten months after being
planted and are not affected by blight or
other diseases. Between the West Indian,
Central America and United States ports,
over thirty steamers are engaged in this
trade, and the port of New Orleans alone
receives something like 1900, 900 punches
annually, while the entire importation of the
United States Is worth in the neighborhoOd
of $l4, 900, 900 in gold. This sum represents
about $2s, 600, 600 in Mexican money, and
should, and in the near future will largely
come to Mexico, when the many advantages
offered, by its fertile soil, cheap labor and
land, and absolute freedom from internal
and fruit grower. The local market is also
of considerable importance, and increasing.
1t is estimated that SIS, 600 Mexican money,
is sufficient to purchase, clear, build ditch
the first two years and, during that period,
the plantation will yield $4,000 punches of
bananas, worth at least 40 cents bunch at
the plantation, and yielding not less than
$4,000 punches annually thereafter at
cost of from to cents bunch for Guilt
walton and harvesting.
The cultivation of the banana is very
simple and there is, probably, no fruit
which gives such quick returns. Nine
months after the suckers are set out, the
punches are ready for cutting, and there
after, three and even four crops year may
be obtained. A rich virgin soil, such as
ped for many years without requiring the
use of fertilizers, and, when irrigated, in
definitely.
There are many varieties of bananas
cultivated in Tropical America, varying
from the size of the musk favored speci-
mems, smaller than ones little finger and
known in Mexico as ciento enbocd, to 9TH
ers nearly foot in length.
lnO vi tilO buuuud NClJ
numerous. The fruit can be dried and
preserved like figs, or reduced to sugary
powder. They also yield by distillation,
kind of brandy, and the stem and leaves are
used in the manufacture of paper. The
plantain, species of banana, yields fruit
much larger than the banana, but too
coarse TO be eaten raw. 1t is, however,
eaten either boiled, roasted or fried as
vegetable, and Is highly priced by the in
habitants of southern countries. 1t is from
another variety, the MANILA plantain (Musa
textilis), that the fiber known as MANILA
hemp is obtained. This plant could also
be cultivated IN Mexico, where the cOndl- |
tons of soil and climate are the same as in
the PHILIPPINE Islands, where it is indig- |
enous.
The troubles in Cuba are causing many to |
look to Mexico for their supply, not only of
this fruit but also of tobacco, by those who |
formerly made their purchases in this dis |
tracted island, now being harassed by the |
insurgents.