Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-01-20
RED BANANAS ARE SCARCE.
Twenty Years Ago Brought Less Price
Than Yellow.

/ Than Yellow.
! "Red bananas are not often seen in
the market these days." said COM
mission man, land when we do get
| them, they bring fancy prices. Eff
teen or twenty years ago, the reds
were the leading banana, and sold for
a less price than the yellow. The
change is due to commercial reasons
the yellow banana is more profitable,
requires less time in its care and Guilt
walton, and consequently, costs less.
More Of the yellows grow on bunch,
stick to the stem better, and ste nd
handling far better than the red. With
these advantages, the reds have been
practically driven out Of the market
The comparatively few punches
brought here are soon gobbled up by
fancy fruit dealers, and they bring
good prices. Some people prefer the
flavor Of the red banana, and some
like that of the yellow, but the price
has a great deal to do with it, the fal
less price the yellow can be offered to
the consumer determines and settles
the question.
Bananas were never so cheap as
they have been in recent years, and
what was formerly an expensive lux
ury is one Of our cheapest articles Of
everyday food, ranging in price from
Z cents to 20 cents a dozen. AS little
as some people think Of it, the best
and most wholesome bananas ara tha
ones peddled from the push cars by
the vendors. l say this because these
fellows never buy bananas until the
fruit is thoroughly ripe, and in day
or two more would not be fit for mar
ket. The peddlers get them cheap and
rush them out at lively rate A ba-
mana is not wholesome food--it is unfit
for the stomach-until perfectly and
thoroughly ripe. When commission
men get a large consignment Of ba-
nanas, they cannot afford to let any
grass grow under their feet while get
ting rid Of the stock, for a few hours
delay may mean the spelling Of hun
dreds of dollars worth Of the fruit,
When it reaches this stage, the banana
auction takes place, and then the
street men get in their work, buying
fine, large, perfectly ripe punches for
as low as 20 cents. Banana auction
mornings around here on Louisiana
avenue are the liyeliest MORNINGS we
have, and the sons of Italy are on
hand by the hundreds. l have seen as
many as 400 carts lined up here to get
supplies Of bananas.
"The great bulk of the banana
trade is now controlled by company
which banana importers have organ
lied, and this company uses the fast
est steamers for placing the fruit on
the markets. Formerly, we got them
years ago-in sailing vessels, but
bad weather would knock the vessels
out and the cargo would go to rot. No
such trouble as that is experienced
now, the fast steamers, built especially
for the fruit trade, land here in good
shape and with the fruit In prime con-
dition. 1t is after unloading that the
danger of rottage comes, and the fruit
must be disposed Of in quick order.
Most of our bananas 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 distributions; that
from the other countries coming to At
lantic ports. The fruit was never so
widely distributed, and especially in
interior points. Post.