Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20
AT THE BANANA AUCTION.
Tropic Fruit Was Never So Cheap as
Now


Now.
Red bananas are not often seen in the
market these days." said a commission
man. land when we do get them they
bring fancy prices. Fifteen or twenty
years ago the reds were the leading ba-
mana and sold for a less price than the
yellow. The change Is due to commercial
reasonable yellow banana Is more profit
able. requires less time In its care and
cultivation and, consequently costs less
More Of the yellows grow on a bunch.
They stick to the stem better and stand
handling far better than the red With
these advantages the reds have been prac-
tically 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 great deal to do with it, the far less
price the yellow can be offered to the con-
sumer determines and settles the question.
Bananas were never so cheap as they
have been in recent years, and what was
formerly an expensive luxury Is one of
our cheapest articles of everyday food,
ranging in price from seven cents to twenty
cents dozen. AS little as some people
think Of it. the best and most wholesome
bananas are the ones peddled from the
push carts by the vendors. l say this be-
cause these fellows never buy bananas
until the fruit Is thoroughly ripe and
day or two more would not be mt for
market. The peddlers get them cheap and
rush them out at lively rate. banana
is not wholesome food-it is unfit for the
stomach-until perfectly and thoroughly
ripe. When commission men get large
consignment of bananas they cannot afford
to let any grass grow under their feet
while getting rid Of the stock for few
hours delay may mean the spelling Of
hundreds 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 twen-
ty cents. Banana auction mornings around
here on Louisiana avenue are the liveliest
mornings we have. and the sons of Italy
are on hand by the hundreds. l have seen
as many four hundred carts lined up
here to get supplies Of bananas.
"The great bulk of the banana trade is
now controlled by company which ba-
mana importers have organized. and this
placing the fruit on the markets For
meriy 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 condition. It 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 Hon
duras. Colombia, Jamaica and Cuba: that
is. from countries around the southern part
Of the Gulf of Mexico anu around the
Caribbean sea. The bulk of the fruit from
the gulf countries goes to New Orleans
for distribution. that from the other coun-
tries coming to Atlantic ports. The fruit
has never before been so widely distrib-
uted. especially in interior points,