Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-03-07
SOME FACTS ABOUT BANANAS,

Why Red Bananas Have Disa ppeared-
Modern Places of the Trade.
/ Red bananas are so scarce nOwaday.
as to be practically a rarity; the PIE
yailinY banana is yellow. Twent
years and more ago the red was the
prevailing banana and the yellow the
rare one. The change from red to vel
low Is due to commercial reasons; the
yellow is more profitable.
The yellow banana requires less care
and time in cultivation, and so cost
less in that stage. 1t sticks to the stem,
better than the red banana. and 50
stands handling better. There are one
third more yellow bananas to tn
bunch than red. With all these marke.
advantages I'm its favor the yellow
banana has practically driven the red
banana out.
With this scarcity re-. iananas noM
bring fancy prices. it may he ten times
as much as yellow bananas With yel-
low bananas at 81 or Sl.50. red bunch
would be worth from ST to $11. and
there would be fewer in bunch. Red
bananas sell nowadays in the fruit
stores as high rs ~ cents each. The
comparatively few lunches impOI ted
are taken by dealers in fine and fancy
fruits as novelties. the rarity. in la. x.
measure, determining the price. 1t
might be asked why. with red bananas
at such prices. more are not cultivated:
TO which the answer Is that il more
were raised the price would go down
again. and there would he no profit i'm
raising them for the general demand,
in competition with the more econOm-
ically produced. more prolific. and bet
ter shipping yellow bananas. The
red banana appears to he now in its
scarcity like some other kinds Of com
paratively rare fruits, or, say. Ike
game. Some people prefer the flavor
OF the red banana, some prefer that of
the yellow; 1t is probable that the great
majority would have no choice: and
tia far lower price at which the yellow
banana can be offered to the individual
consumer settles the question.
Bananas were never before so cheal.
as they have been In very recent years.
Formerly a luxury that was rather
costly than otherwise the banana is
now a cheap luxury; very good ban
anas can now he bought commonly in
the streets IN the season at cent
apiece, or 10 cents a dozen. such as for
merly cost two or three times as much
Formerly bananas were brought to this
country in sailing vessels. in slick fast
tt
favoring conditions. made quick trips;
with adverse weather. II long cOntin-
ued. the cargoes rOtted. Now bananas
are brought by steam. In fast steamers
built especially for the fruit trade.
These steamers may. of course. be
held up by storms; but they are not
likely to be: commonly they land car
goes here in specified time. and in the
hest and most suitable condition for
handling and marketing to the best ad
vantage and with the least possible
waste. and with advantage as to even
ness Of supply. The great bulk of the
banana trade In this country Is now
controlled by company which banana
importers have organized.
The bananas eaten In this cOuntr,
come from Costa Rica. British and
Spanish Honduras. Colombia. Jamaica
and Cuba: that IL. from countries
around the southern part Of the Gulf
Of Mexico and around the Caribbean
Sea. The bulk of the fruit from the
Gulf countries goes to New Orleans for
distribution. that from the other coun-
tries coming to Atlantic ports. For
many years bananas have had a more
or less wide distribution from the ports
Of receipt: but they were never before
80 widely distributed. nor sold SO
cheaply at interior points, as now.
Rananas are now sold. not ~ rarities.
but more or less commonly, in all parts
Of the country; practically everywhere:
the eastern part Of the country being
supplied from Atlantic ports. and the
Mississippi; valley and the western
half from New Orleans. Costa Rica
bananas are now shipped from New
Orleans over pretty much all the west
ern country, to the Pacific coast.