The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-02
FACTS ABOUT BANANAS.
VIII the Red One Has Disappeared
From the Market.

ltrum the Sew FORK SUM-
Red bananas are so scarce nowadays as
TO be practically rarity; the prevailing
banana is yellow Twenty years and more
the yellow the rare che. The change from
red 10 yellow Is due TO commercial reasons;
the yellow banana is more profitable.
The yellow banana requires less care and
time in the cultivation, and 50 costs less
in that stage. II 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 advantages in its
favor the yellow banana has practically
driven the red banana out
With this great scarcity red bananas now
bring fancy prices. IL may be ten times as
much as yellow bananas. With yellow
bananas at 81 or $50 a bunch red would
be worth from s. 10 Sl1. and there would
be fewer in a bunch. Red bananas sell
nowadays in the fruit stores as high as %
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. l.
might be asked why, with red bananas al
such prices, more are not cultivated: 20
which the answer is that II more were
raised the price would go down again. and
there would be no profit in rasing them
for the general demand in competition
with the more economically produced, more
prolific. and better shipping yellow banan-
as. The red banana appears TO be now in its
scarcity like some other kinds of compare
lively rare fruits. or. say like game Some
people prefer the favor Of the red banana.
some prefer that Of the yellow; it is prob
able that the great majority would have no
choice. and the far lower price az which
the yellow banana can be offered to the in
dividual consumer settles the question.
Bananas were never before so cheap as
. they have been in very recent years
Formerly a luxury that was rather costly
l than otherwise the banana is now a cheap
I luxury; very good bananas can now be
( bought commonly in the streets in tho
{ season at a cent piece. or 10 cents q
dozen. Formerly bananas were brought Il
I this country in sailing vessels, in SLICK
/ fast schoOners. which. with any sort OF
( favoring conditions. made quick trips; with
adverse weather. II long continued lhl
/ cargoes rctted. Now bananas are brought
| by steam. in fast steamers built especially
/ for the fruit trade. These steamers may
/ Of course, be held Up by Storm. but they
are not likely to be: commonly they land
/ cargOes here in a specified time. and IN the
/ best and most suitable condition Tor han
I ding and marketing 20 the best advantage
/
| advantage as 10 evenness Of supply. The
/ great bulk of the banana trade in this
country is now controlled by a company
which banana importers have organized.
The bananas eaten in this country come
/ from Costa Rica. British and Spanish Hon.
| duras Colombia. Jamaica, and Cuba: tha
! is, from countries around the south Tn par
of the Gulf Of Mexico and arc md Tx
! Caribbean Sea. The bulk OF the fruit from
the Gulf countries goes 70 New Or,elns fO
{ distribution, that from the other COuntriel
/ coming to Atlantic ports. For many year.
/ bananas have had a more or less wide dis
1 tribution from the ports OF receipt bu
1 they were never before so widely dis
, tributed, nor sold so cheaply ut intsrio
| points, as now. Bananas are now sold no
4 as rarities. but more or less commonly, ii
all parts of the country practically every
I where, the eastern part Of the country be
/ ing supplied from Atlantic ports, and tn
l Mississippi Valley and the western hal
/ from New Orleans Costa Rica bananas ar
now shipped from New Orleans over prett
much all the western country to the Pa
cifc Coast.