The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-25

a market in the Pacific Coast terri
tory as that. of the West Indies has
done in the Atlantic Coast territory.
EXAMPLE OF JAMAICA.
Jamaica has about doubled its ship
ment Of fruit in the past five years,
the annual value thereof being now
above five million dollars, or over 60
per cent of the total exports of the
colony. Nearly seven-eighths go to
the United States, and the remainder
to the United Kingdom and other Brit
ish possessions. In the year 1903 the
total quantity Of bananas grown and
exported by Jamaica was about eight
million punches. 1t is estimated that
SO, 900 acres are under cultivation COM
prising 240 estates or thereabout, which
vary in area from 20 to 500 or 500 acres,
together with holdings of less than 20
acres cultivated by hundreds of set
tiers. Old abandoned cane lands, on
the southern side of the island, have
been transformed into luxuriant ba-
mana groves yielding, by the aid of ir-
rigation, 800 punches to the acre.
The foregoing data, together with
many practical lessons, are contained
in a report on the fruit industry of
Jamaica by w. E. Smith. manager of
the Trinidad government railway, who
visited Jamaica as special repre-
sentative of the Trinidad Agricultural
Society Jamaica has a code of regu-
Iations that have become the recog-
nized standard there for buying and
selling. A full bunch, or straight as
it is technically known, consists of nine
hands or better. Eight hands count
as three-quarters, seven hands as a
half and six hands as fourth Abnor-
NAL punches of fourteen and fifteen
hands are generally subject to higher
prices by arrangement.
big punches mean better fruit, more
convenient handling and safer car
rage, also higher prices from the
wholesale dealer" Mr.. Smith writes.
t'These the shipper requires, and pays
his premium for getting. He does not
want small and inferior specimens. and
will only take limited proportion of
them in any case. On the other hand,
the grower cannot, under the most
favorable circumstances, avoid GER
tain percentage of small punches, and
he is quite satisfied to sell them at the
reduced rates referred to. The fruit cut
from young plants is usually under
sized. Patches of inferior land and I'M
favorable situations produce similar re-
suits and from a variety of causes the
planter is obliged to reckon upon a
of low grades in his annual
crop. AT any rate, the arrangement
seems to work all right in Jamaica and
is generally considered to be perfectly
equable. Its reaction upon the Gull
tivators is, moreover far-reaching and
beneficial, inasmuch as it forces upon
them the all-important necessity of
good tillage, intelligent management
and careful handling. as the only
means of realizing satisfactory re-
turns"
GREAT CARE IN HANDLING.
Mr. Smith says that the process of
cutting, handling and transporting ba-
nanas in Jamaica is one of increasing
care and anxiety. The stem is cut on
the top. Just below the head, when the
bunch topples over and is caught by a
second helper 1t is not allowed to
fall to the ground. sharp machete or
rutlass does the requisite trimming.
and the refuse is afterward chopped
no and left on the soil. The remain
ing stump is allowed gradually to rot
from the top, which admits Of the
heavy amount OF sap it contains being
slowly returned to flourish the young
smoker at it's root. The punches are
next roughly graded and tailed, then
carried (..headed" is the word used 10
designate the mode of carrying) out TO
some convenient place and there pack
al in trash to await removal TO the
nearest railway station or shipping de-
NOT All this is done under the eye of
an experienced overseer-
RANSPORTATION METHODS.
Donkeys are used for carrying the
lunches crook fashion; and where