The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-09
The Banana the Most Val
liable Of Fruits.
Contains All the Elements for
Human SuStenance.
If Necessary All the People on Earth
Could Live on II Alone.

ttShCS
OF human life, says The Youths Com
panion, is worth more than all the others,
and is thus the most valuable fruit in the
world. Even with us il already holds its
own when compared with any other
fruit, while in some countries-Africa,
for instance-its position is as important
as that of wheat in the United States, or
rice in China. Over the larger part of the
Dark Continent the banana is the staple
article OF native food, and every African
village has its banana fields, as We have
ii ields of potatoes or corn.
The banana belongs to the great Musa
family which, with its score OF species
aud innumerable varieties, encircles the
world between the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn, even extending its limits few
degrees to the north and south OF them.
The plantain, of which we read so much
in ali books describing travel In the
tropics, Is but larger and coarser va
riety OF the banana; while manila hemp
comes from another branch of the banana
family, the great Musa textilis OF the
Philippine Islands.
Although some varieties Of the banana
attain the size of small trees, it is an her
baceous plant, and the kind most gen.
orally cultivated for their fruit are the
dwarfs, which grow to height OF but
four or five feet. The smallest of these
produce the delicate fig bananas, un-
known to northern markets, but almost
the only ones eaten as fruit in countries
where the banana is grown. While the
little fig banana Is always classed as a
fruit. plantains, which are the largest of
the family, are invariably fried or baked
and regarded as vegetables. Ordinary
bananas, taken before they are quite ripe,
may be acceptably prepared in the same
way. For cooking or drying they are cut
into strips lengthwise, while for serving
in their natural state they are sliced cross
wise.
A number OF delicious desserts may be
prepared by cutting ripe bannas into thin
slices and serving with custard, with lime
juice and sugar, with lemon juice and de-
sicated cocoanut, or in other ways that
will readily suggest themselves. Bananas
can be dried as easily as apples or peaches.
in this condition they will keep for
long time. and may be eaten by them
selves or used in the making of pies,
cakes, or puddings.
Tho banana il extremely sensitive to
cold, and will not withstand touch of
frost. It has no seeds, but Is propagated
from suckers or roots, having eyes like
potatoes. Each eye produces plant.
and from the largest Of these at the end
OF a twe,vemonth will appear q huge
purple blossom. 1t depends upon thick
stem, is big and round at.the base, tapers
to q point, is foot or IS inches long,
and Is composed of many compact rows OF
great overlapping petals.
Beginning at the base OF the blossom,
these petals curl upward, disclosing the
tiny "hands" OF bananas, each having
from eight to ten "fingers" as the indi-
vidual fruits are termed by the grower.
In this manner the successive hands are
gradually brought TO view by the unfold
Ing ana dropping of petals on alternate
sides of the stem, until the bunch is com.
plete.. Then after some weeks OF life the
shrunken blossom, which still clings to
its 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 10 formed II takes about
three months to "hll' or attain its full
size Then although it is still green, the
bunch 10 cut and hung in shaded place
to ripen, for bananas, like pears, ripen
best after being gathered. Thus, unlike
most tropical fruits, the banana of
northern markets is fully equal in flavor
and nutrition to that consumed where
grown.
Having borne its single bunch of fruit
the lifework of the plant is ended, and it
quickly dies, or, rs Is always the case
where IL Is cultivated, Is at once cut down.
When thus treated the severed trunk
yields copIous flow of juice that is in
itself en- indelible ink, the stain of which
cannot be removed from linen or cotton.
The pface of the defunct "tree'' is i'm
mediately taken by the sturdiest OF the
cluster OF shoots that have sprung'up in
its shadow. and thus from a single sucker
the supply OF bearing plants is continued
indefinitely.
bananas require damp rich soil; but
k-ts LA..
of planting and such slight cultivation
rs is required to keep them free from
other growths, with yield SO great as
to be out OF all proportion to the work
expended upon them. After while, too,
the plants aid in their own cultivation by
SO covering the ground about them
with their own refuse leaves as effectually
mediate vicinity.
So generous is the fruitage of this ex-
traordinary plant that its food products
was estimated by Baron Won Humboldt
TO be one hundred and thirty-three times
greater than that OF wheat, and forty
four times greater than that OF potatoes
In other words, IL certain area OF ground
would produce thirty-three pounds of
wheat or ninety-nine of potatoes, an
equal area of banana land would yield
four thousand pounds Of fruit, containing
all the life sustaining properties of both
Wneat ana potatoes. Won Hum bOldt also
asserted that the arabic lands OF Central
America alone can produce enough ba-
nanas to feed the world.
il is now gen rally admitted that the
banana Is indigenous only to the Malaysn
peninsula, and that, as IL had neither seeds
TO be scattered by birds, ncr buoyant
husk, Ike that Of the cocoanut, 10 fioat
in ocean currents, IL must have been by
human agency spread to all the other
parts OF the world where il is now found.
But as IL was discovered i'm Central
America and the West Indian islands by
the followers OF CoIumubs, the question
arises, "Who carried II TO those places?"
Was the original discovery and settlement
OF America made by banana pla nters
from the Pacific Islands, ages before
Europeans crossed the Atlantic3 N the
story OF the banana's wanderings were
truly recorded much OF the hidden his.
tory OF the human race might stand re-
yealed.
few years ago the only bananas
brought TO this country came I'm small
but swift sailing vessels from the West
Indies, and the fruit, now so plentiful
every " here, was almost unknown beyond
the larger cosst cities. Then bananas
sold nj retail Cor from FIVE 10 ten cents
arfeco and huf few f,oonlo were ahio %