Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-16
FACTS ABOUT BANANAS.
Why the Red DnDana Has Disap-
penred-Other Modern Phases
of the Trade.
Red bananas are so scarce nowadays

Red bananas are SO scarce nowadays
as 10 be practically II rarity; The pre-
vailing banana is GLOW. Twenty Years
aud more ago the red was the prevail
ing banana and the yellow the rare
one. The change from red to yellow is
due 10 commercial reasons; the yellow
banana is more profitable.
The yellow banana requires less care
and time in Tie cultivation, and so costs
less IN that stage. 1t sticks 10 the stem
better Than Tie red banana, and 50
stands handling better. There are one-
third more yellow bananas to the bunch
than red. With all these marked ad-
yantagcs in its favor the yellow banana
has practically driven the red banana
out.
With this great scarcity red bananas
now bring fancy prices; it muy be ten
times as much as yellow bananas. With
yellow bananas at n dollar or n dollar
and q half a bunch, red would be worth
from six 10 eleven dollars, aud there
would be fewer in a bunch. Red ba-
IaHas sell nowadays in the fruit stores
as high as 20 cents each. The cUmpar-
atiyely 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 rec bananas at such
prices, more are not cultivated; to
which the answer is that II more were
raised the price would 20 down again.
and there would he no profit in raising
them for tie general demand, in com
petition with the more commonly pro-
Guced, more profile and better ship
ping yellow bananas. The red banana
appears TO he now in its scarcity like
some other kinds Of comparatively are
fruits, or, say, like game. Some peo-
PIE prefer the flavor Of the red banana,
some prefer that Of the yellow; il is
probable that the great majority would
have no choice, and the far lower price
at which the yellow banana can be Of
fereG to the Individual consumer settles
the question.
bananas were never before so cheap
as they have been in very recent years.
Formerly n luxury that WAS rather
costly than otherwise, the banana is
now a cheap luxury; very good ba-
nanas can now be bought commonly in
the streets IN the season AZ a cent
apiece, or ten cents q Dozen such as for
merly cost W or three times as much.
Formerly bananas were brought 10 this
country in sailing vessels, in slick fast
schooners which, with any sort of ia
voring conditions, made quick trips;
with adverse weather, il 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 cargoes
here in q specified time, and in the best
and most suitable condition for han
ding and marketing 10 the best advan-
tage and with the least possible waste,
and with great advantage as TO even
ness 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 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 gull
countries goes TO New Orleans for dis,
tribution, 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
so widely distributed nor sold so cheap
ly at interior points as now. Banana,
are now sold not as rarities, but more
or less commonly In all parts Of III,
country, practically everywhere; the
eastern part of the country being sup
piled from Atlantic ports and the Mis-
sissippi valley and the western hal.
from New Orleans. Costa Rica ba
nanas are now shipped from New Or
leans over pretty much all the western
country 10 the Pacific coast.-N. Y. Sun