Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
bilities. and send us samples Of the manu-
featured articid. shall be very much

obliged"
The chamber was under obligations to the
firm Tor various courtesies, and therefore
took the matter up with the Washington
representative, Mr.. Bunker at once started
fruitful inquiry. He sent letters to the
-FOUR corners OF the earth. From wholesale
grocers OF New York he learned that
banana flour had not been commercially
introduced into the United States, except
In the form Of samples. The samples were
from British Guiana. They were shown by
an agent from that country. who also
sought orders for banana coffee. substi-
tute Tor the genuine article. The banana
Hour looked like yam or sweet potato flour.
and was said to be especially adapted for
griodie cakes. The inquiry gradually
broadened. One reply from a New York
grocery house limited at Cuban banana
flour Letters were at once mailed to bust
ness houses and officials in Cuba. In the
meantime the bureau of statistics. United
states treasury. was sounded on the sub
Ject Inc bureau instituted an inquiry that
nailed the banana -four received from Brit
ism Guiana. The letter from the bureau
service:
IN response to your recent request have
written to collectors of customs at Boston,
New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Tampa,
i hey west New Orleans and Chicago ask,
ing II any banana flour had been imported
at those ports during the current fiscal
year (since June 80 last). All these collect
ors replied that no banana flour has been
ROD. except the collector of customs at
new York. who reports that during the
month OF February last two barrels of
panama flour were received from British
Gulana. weight 800 pounds. value $1S and
were returned by him under the head "all
other breadstuffs.'
Further Information.
While reading the letter from the bureau
Mr.. Bunker received from a New York
mouse sample of the British Guiana
banana flour. About this time 1t occurred
10 him to ask the bureau of insular affairs
for information about the banana flour re-
sources of Cuba. That bureau referred
him to Senior Gonzales de Quesada Cuban
minister to the United States. with whom
ne nad an interesting and instructive inter-
view. Senior Quesada said banana flour
was one OF the novel Cuban exhibits at the
Paris exposition, that it is chiefly made by
havana house. and that Mr.. Bunker was
at liberty to use the name of the minister
III writing to the Havana firm. The Cuban
"aAuIacturers were extremely courteous.
accompanying an instructive letter from
havana were two cans of banana -four
mace by the Havana house. While The
manufacturers withheld the secrets Of their
process. they furnished enough guiding in
formation to satisfy the Sydney correspond
ents or the chamber Of commerce of San
Francisco They wrote about banana flour
ana also about the very delicate and ex-
pioIcSS VI ueSlcCdC1On. OW1nR 10
the difficulties attending the desiccation Of
bananas very little work in this line is at
tempted Baron Won Humboldt asserts that
the panama Is fOrty-fOur times as nutri-
uous as potatoes. twenty-five times as
nour1shing as wheat and thirty times as
nour1shlng as rice Banana flour is given
TO fnvalfds to build up and nourish weaken
ed constitutions. and is also used in making
gr1ddle cakes. American interest in this
product is due to the fact that If this flour
can be made an article of commerce the
United States will have a new use for It's
Pacific islands, These islands contain large
areas OF banana lands. The food products
or the Philippines, for instance, do not be-
gin to meet the demands The annual i'm
ports or rice are very heavy. According
to some authorities banana flour would
prove very acceptable substitute for rice
At Tutuila, our Samoan Island possession
there Is a comparatively large area of land
specially adapted to the cultivation of
bananas which has never been utilized and
for which thus far profitable use has
been found The natural product of
bananas more than meets the present de-
mand. If banana trees can be profitabIy
cultivated on the land now out of use the
development of this new possession will be
promoted in a very practical way.
Banana flour experiments may lead to this
result. OF one thing the public may be
certain, banana flour will be made in the
Fiji Islands, where, according to latest ad
vices, measures have been taken for care
fully conducted experiments.