The Washington bee., 1899-06-10
WHERE BANANAS GROW.
Fifteen Million Bunches Come to
This Country Every Year.
Only Two Varieties,

Oniy Two varieties.
That bananas are abundant in any OF
our large cities is apparent to every
resident or visitor. They are some
what lower in price than heretofore
One can buy at a street corner two
fair bananas, with their skins perhaps
a trlfie bruised, but sound and sweet
within, for one cent. For a nickel one
can get three as fine specimens as can
be desired. Assuredly, the buyer does
not thus disburse his petty coins from
a motive of benevolence, but uncon-
sciously he aids thereby some laborer
away in Central America. or on the
Spanish Main, or among the Atlantic
Islands of the tropics. 1t may be that
the purchaser has had the good fortune
to eat the fruit under one of the i'm
mense leaves Of the plant which bears
it.
There are in the leading Atlantic sea-
ports of the United States twenty i'm
porters of bananas who deal in nothing
else, and who, with millions invested
in their business, import $4,000, 900
punches Of bananas every year. A
single importer in New York has this
year imported 100000 lunches
These imports are shipped from Limon,
in Costa Rico; from Santa Marta, in the
United States of Colombia; from Sam
ana, in Hayti, but most of all from the
island OF Jamaica. Among the agricul-
tural interests of that island the culti-
vation of the banana is said to be third
in importance, being surpassed by the
sugar cane and coffee alone. More
than nine per cent. of the titled land
of Jamaica is devoted to the cultiva-
tion Of bananas. In a year there are
shipped from Jamaica alone about
100000 punches, which brought
e302,415.
These punches, of which each plant
bears one or more, hold from two to
three hundred bananas EACH They
weigh sometimes as much as eighty or
even hundred pounds The planters
do not allow the fruit to ripen on the
tree. 1t is gathered before it Is ripe,
while it is still green in color, and the
stem Immediately thereafter is cut
down to the ground; whereupon the
round bulbous root-stock sends up at
once new leaves, and a second plant
natures and bears fruit. With proper
management a plantation yields fruit
every month in the year. Thus the
half dozen steamers which bring the
fruit to the United States run constant
ly from January to January, having
their holds slowed to the full with
punches, unlocked and without covering
of any kind. The fruit ripens on the
voyage or soon after it's arrival. In
its unripened condition it contains
much starch, but on ripening, the
starch, by the subtle chemistry of ma
ture, is converted into sugar.
Of the bananas brought hither few
are exported to Europe, but the greater
part find their way all over the United
States, being sold (by the importers to
jobbers) by the car load. Of the ba-
lanas consumed in New York, more
than so per cent. are sold by street.
corner venders and from pushcarts.
These humble tradesmen, therefore,
are not to be despiSed, since they are
important factors in the distribution of
an article which ministers to the we'll
being of numerous inhabitants On
some islands of the Pacific the inhabi-
tants live on bananas exclusively, and
breed race of tall, strong men. Hum
boldt says that the same land which
produces 1000 pounds of potatoes viii
yield $4,000 pounds of bananas, and
that a surface bearing wheat enough to
feed one man will, when planted with
bananas, feed twenty-five The vari-
eties of bananas cultivated in the
tropics are said to be as numerous as
the varieties of apples in temperate
regions. There is a red-skinned va
riety, which formerly was seen fire.
" in &c
now only limited supply, and those
are bought principally to decorate
luncheon and dinner tables In the
matter of taste this variety is in no
way superior to the common yellow
sort, but the red tint is thought more
ornamental and to add to the appear
ance of fruit dish, filled with differ
ent sorts of fruit