The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-22
FACTS ABOUT BANANAS.
TFrom the New York SUM-

IFrom the New York SUM-
Red bananas are so scarce nowadays
as to be practically a rarity: the pre-
vailing banana is yellow. Twenty years
and more ago the red was the prevail
ing banana and yellow the rare one.
The change from red to yellow is due to
commercial reasons, the yellow banana
is more profitable
The yellow banana requires less care
and time in the cultivation, and so costs
less IN that stage. 1t sticks TO the stem
better than the red banana and so
stands handling better There are one
third more yellow bananas to the bunch
than red. With all these marked ad
vantages in its favor the yellow banana
has practically driven the red banana
out.
With this great scarcity red bananas
now bring fancy prices; it may be ten
times as much as yellow bananas, With
yellow bananas at 81 or $3.50 a bunch
red would be worth from Sc to $11, and
there would be fewer in bunch. Red
bananas sell nowadays in the fruit
stores as high as 20 cents each The
comparatively few punches imported
are taken by dealers in fine and fancy
fruits as novelties, the rarity in large
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 if more
We're raised the price would go down
again. and there would be no profit in
raising them for the general demand,
in competition with the more economi-
cally produced, more prolific and better
shipping yellow bananas. The red ba-
mana appears to be now in it's scarcity
like some other kinds of comparatively
rare fruits, or, say, like game. Some
people prefer the flavor of the red ba-
mana, some prefer that of the yellow;
it is probable that the great majority
would have no choice; and the far low
er price at which the yellow banana can
be offered to the individual consumer
settles the question.
Bananas were never before so cheap
as they have been in very recent vars.
Formerly a luxury that was rather
costly than otherwise, the banana is
now a cheap luxury; very good bananas
can now be bought commonly in the
streets in the season at cent apiece, or
ten cents a dozen such as formerly cost
two or three times as much. Formerly
bananas were brought to this country
in sailing vessels, in slick fast schoon-
eTs which, with any sort Of favorirg
conditions, made quick trips; with ad
verse weather, if long continued 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 cargoes here in a
specified time, and in the best and most
suitable condition for handling and
marketing to the best advantage and
with the least possible waste, and with
advantage as to evenness of supply. The
great bulk OF the banana trade in this
country is now controlled by a company
which banana importers have organic
ed.
The bananas eaten in this country
come from Costa Rica, British and
Spanish Honduras, Colombia, Jamaica
and Cuba; that is, 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 more
or less wide distribution from the ports
of receipt; but they were never before
so widely distributed. nor sold so cheap
ly at interior points, as now. Bananas
are now sold, not as raritieS, but more
or less commonly. in all parts of the
country; practically everywhere; the
eastern part of the country being sup
piled from Atlantic ports, and the Mis-
sissippi valley and the western half
from New Orleans. Costa Rica bananas
are now shipped from New Orleans over
pretty much all the western country, 10
the Pacific coast.