The Van Buren press., 1903-06-27
AMERICANS BANANA EArrn>
More of the Fruit COnsur
Than in Any Other Coun,r
Trade Particulars

Trade Particulars.
One would think that as -
weather approaches and fresh f,'sa
and vegetables begin to cheapen -
banana mans profits would BEGIN
fall off. But this is just the tim
year when they swell to three fin.
their winter proportions. 1t is ~
in winter when little other frr;,
to be had that people consun
bananas in vast quantities. but =.
summer, when they assault the evs.
of the millions temptingly witb%,
danger Of freezing, says the NeS
York Commercial Advertiser.
America has within the last "a,
years become the greatest banan,
consuming country on the cIob.
Twenty-four million punches WEI.
imported last year into the Unit,
States, an increase of 40 per cen,
over ten years ago. This increase i,
due simply and solely to ventilaton
The ordinary ship has no ventilato,,
in the holds. The ship CONSTRUCTED
specially for carrying bananas h,,
from u to 30 big ones. The COMPANY
which controls so per cent. of tn.
banana trade has Is of these banan,
ships in active service.
But care can by no means rela,
after the banana lands on America
soil. For long distance hauls the na.
tional fruit of the tropics requires al.
most as much attention as it doe,
on shipboard. This is particulars
true in the west, where the messen.
ger holds an interesting position,
He takes the cars for the western
trade out of New Orleans, on some
trips having as many as 20 under bis
charge. They must be dropped al
along the way from st. Louis to the
coast, and they must reach each
town in the right condition, ripenei
Just enough to make good eating
This maturing takes place on the
cars. and depends on the messengers
skillful manipulation Of ventilators
No artificial heat is supplied in win.
ter. The cars are heated with
stoves before departure and the
stoves are then removed. After that
the vast mass of moist bananas will
generate even too much heat il left
to themselves. There is thermome.
ter in each car, and il is the messen.
gers business TO keep the tempera.
ture regulated to a dot, so that The
man in Kansas City and the man in
Seattle will get his bananas just
right. So that, in fact, westerner
consume bananas ripened by messen.
ger service instead Of the sun,
Twenty-Five messengers make Their
headquarters in New Orleans, but In
the east the distances are 50 mufh
less that not more than five or six
are kept busy.
Bananas for New York come from
Jamaica, Costa Rica. Cuba, SantO
Domingo and Santa Marta, in south
America. Those for New Orleans
come mostly from the United States
Of Colombia and variou, parts Of
\ Central America. The fruit COMPANY
which 50 largely controls the trade
raises 60 per cent. Of the product Il
handles on its own plantations, where
it cultiyates the fruit, although il
will grow without cultivation
throughout tropical America. There
are only two kinds Of bananas The
red and the yellow, but the red is no
longer handled owing to It's poo'
transporting qualities. Fried, It
forms a staple dish among the hum
bier housewives Of tropical America
The same improved methods OF
Transportation which have made
Americans a race Of banana eaters
have begun the same Transforming
process with the English. The FIRST
refrigerator banana ships from ia
maica TO Liverpool were put on 10
1901. with a fortnightly service,
This was increased 10 n weekly
service last year, each ship carrying
10000 stems, Probably 100000 stems
were landed in Liverpool last year
an increase Of 100 per cent. over 'h'
year before,